Fire In The Water: Rising Water
by Silhouettes of Starlight
Summary: Part 2 of Fire In The Water. "Life is complicated in every sense of the word. Some would find it too hard to live in it with the weight it brings upon one's shoulders. Still, it is such a precious thing to have. How can anyone want to give it up? A single breath of life is worth more than all the treasures in the world, for a single breath is the world to some."
1. Prologue

**I'm back, my darlings! And, with my return, I bring the second installment of Fire In The Water, which I hope you guys like and enjoy with all your hearts! I'm really excited about this because we'll be delving deep into Gwen and Kol's relationship, which we'll have a lot of that at first and then we'll move on with other characters.**

**Remember, I own nothing of the Vampire Diaries, except for the obvious.**

**I hope you guys enjoy this as much or more than the last! Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

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><p>The stars shine bright in the night sky above the bustling city of the Old Smoke that is London; lights, music, voices and many things more filled the wind, which carried the sound throughout the streets. It is a rather beautiful city with its mortal socialites walking or driving around, oblivious to the monsters that plague the shadows around them, waiting for the right moment to pounce. And these monsters are everywhere and can be anyone without anyone mortal knowing a thing about it.<p>

These monsters lurk around, looking high and mighty with the power they possess, for they hold many advantages that many do not have and that is enough to make them feel like gods. The monsters of many ages, genders and other things never have to worry about the one thing that mortals do not have: Time. But they cannot turn a blind eye so easily, for there are those few mortals that know of them and hunt them down, and some do not even know why they do so, but only because they feel it's their responsibility and obligation.

Oblivious to either party, there are two guests to the city. They reside in one of London's hotel's suite. It is a duplex apartment-style that offers spectacular floor-to-ceiling windows, which overlooks the Royal Parks and Wellington Arch. This is contemporary design at its most impressive with a floating staircase to seamlessly link the two floors. It has an impressive view of London from the relaxation of an eight-seater sofa or intimate dining area. Upstairs awaits a new perspective of the capital's historic skyline, which can be absorbed from the grand king-size bed, jet walk-in rain shower, or while soaking in the bath. The stunning suite is replete with bespoke furnishings, generous wardrobe space, and is designed for the modern traveler.

A rather familiar, blonde ghost approaches the living room area with her eyes set on the phone on the coffee table. She's wearing her usual clothing, which is a white, long-length, tank top with a cream, draped, open-front cardigan with long sleeves. She has light gray, cropped leggings. To match her outfit, she wears cream, cardy ugg boots. Her only accessory being the small, bermuda blue crystal teardrop pendant, which is wrapped in silver filigree around the edges and hangs on the silver brass connector attached to her silver necklace.

She sighs as she sits on the edge of the sofa and picks up the phone, typing a familiar number before putting it to her ear. She only has to wait for two rings to sound before the call is picked up.

"_Hello?_" a velvety voice greets from the other end of the phone, causing the blonde ghost to grin.

"Hello, my dear friend, who I miss terribly," the blonde greets with a smile before hearing an excited squeal from the other end of the call.

"_Gwen?_" the voice from the other line asks excitedly. "_Is that really you?_"

"Of course, Gael," Gwen answers with a smile on her lips. "Who else calls you with no intention to ask you for a favor?"

"_I have missed you so,_" Gael says. "_How have you been? How is Klaus? Where are you?_" Gwen blushes at the last question, glancing towards the stairs and the person she left upstairs.

"I've been well and I hope you are as well, but it's best I start at the beginning," Gwen begins. "After we left Chicago, we arrived at Mystic Falls."

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><p><em>Gwen led Rebekah to double doors and pulled them open, allowing Rebekah to enter with a struggling Tyler before making sure she made herself visible to any human that was present. Gwen noticed the couple sitting on the floor with tears in their eyes, a blond boy next to a dark-skinned girl, whom she presumed was Bonnie, a brunette girl, making her the Petrova girl and Klaus with a grin ever present on his features.<em>

"_Fetched you what you needed," Gwen said as she and Rebekah approached Klaus as everyone else looked to them with frowns on their faces._

"_Ugh, get off of me," Tyler said as he tried to break free from Rebekah's hold, which was impossible at the moment._

"_Hush now," said Rebekah and Gwen saw her tightening her grip, causing Tyler to stop his squirming._

"_I'd like you all to meet my sister, Rebekah, and my dear friend, Gwen," Klaus said as he motioned to Gwen and Rebekah while the brunette frowned at them. "A word of warning, they can be quite mean."_

"_Hey!" Gwen said as she glared at him with Rebekah._

"_Don't be an ass," Rebekah said before pushing Tyler into Klaus' hold._

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><p>"It was a bit of a bloody entrance, but when has it ever been not bloody with Nik," Gwen says with a nervous smile at the memory.<p>

"_I can imagine,_" says Gael.

Gwen sighs. "Yeah, and then we got settled, which was a rude affair with rude hosts."

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><p><em>"He left us here," Rebekah said to Stefan. "My brother actually left us here."<em>

_"I'm sorry, your tone implies that I'm actually supposed to care," Stefan said, obviously rid of his humanity, which causes Gwen to roll her eyes at him and Klaus' stupid decision to compel Stefan to turn off his emotions._

_"You're Klaus' sister?" Damon asked from behind Gwen and Rebekah, causing both blondes to turn to him._

_"Rebekah," said Rebekah, to which Damon turned to Gwen, waiting for her name._

_"Gwen Pierson. I'm supposed to be Klaus' best friend, but clearly I'm not since he left me behind, along with Rebekah," Gwen said with a harsh tone, controlling her anger since she was very upset that Klaus left her and Rebekah behind without even coming to them in person or something with physical contact._

_"Pleasure, I'm sure," Rebekah said, finishing the introductions before turning back to Stefan. "Which are our rooms?"_

_"You're not staying here," Stefan said, wearing a big smile that only a vampire wore when they're high in blood and without their emotions._

_The lights of the house began to dim and shine brightly, alternating from both as Stefan and Damon looked around with frowns on their faces. Gwen's anger being the reason they're flickering. She took a deep breath and calmed herself, causing the lights to remain off, which was how they were before Gwen's emotions got the best of her._

_"Rude, much," Gwen said and Rebekah nodded in agreement after the ghost's little episode that left the brothers frowning at the two supernatural blondes._

_"Let's see to it ourselves," Rebekah said and led the way towards wherever their rooms might be and Gwen followed behind her._

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><p>"<em>Why did Klaus leave you guys?<em>" asks Gael, a frown evident in her tone of voice.

"Well, a lot of things unraveled when he left," says Gwen. "One of them was that he did some things in his past that no one knew about."

"_What things?_" Gael asks.

"He is actually the person who killed his mother," says Gwen.

"_What?_" Gael asks in disbelief.

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><p><em>Gwen stared at him, still getting over being attacked by a hybrid and from the trip she made to find him before taking a deep breath and glaring at him, managing to find some energy. She jerked from his hold and slapped him hard across the face as she took deep and unnecessary breaths. Klaus shook his head before rubbing the area where Gwen had hit him as he frowned at her in confusion, not having expected this.<em>

"_What the bloody hell was that for?" he asked indignantly as Gwen continued to glare at him._

"_That was for the reason I'm here and for almost being fed on by one of your stupid hybrids!" Gwen yelled in anger as she threw his shirt to his face and he caught it, still wearing a frown full of confusion as the wind picked up due to Gwen's anger. "I have your shirt because it helped me teleport to wherever the hell you are, which is in the middle of this stupid forest!"_

"_Calm down, Gwen," he said as exhaustion began to crawl through Gwen's body because of the amount of energy she used to teleport at such a long distance and the wind began to calm down._

"_I will not!" Gwen yelled since she was still furious with him and for almost being fed on, which was not a pleasant thing. "You lied to me, you asshole!" Gwen pushed him back with her hands, only making him take a step back, which proved her weakness at the moment._

_Klaus stared at her in utter confusion before grabbing her arm gently. "Gwen, calm down," he said and Gwen decided to take deep breaths, finally calming herself. "Now, tell me. What's wrong?"_

_Gwen shoved him away from her as she continued to glare at him. "You lied to me! I told you to never lie to me!" she yelled in anger. "I hate lies! You know this! And you killed her!"_

_Klaus' eyes widened slightly since they could always catch on quickly to whatever they meant when they were being subtle. He turned to the hybrid that still stood next to them with a nervous look on his face. "Leave us. Tell the others to stay put and wait for further instructions."_

_The hybrid nodded at Klaus and left without a second thought, leaving Gwen and Klaus alone in the middle of the woods in the middle of the night. "Care to explain?" Gwen asked with a much calmer tone as he stared at her with a blank face that meant that he was caught by surprise._

"_Who told you?" he asked and Gwen froze._

"_It's true, then?" Gwen asked. She waited for his answer, but his continuing silence was enough of an answer. "Rebekah and I had to find out about this through that Petrova bitch! How could you, Niklaus?"_

_He winced when she used his full name, which only happened whenever she was truly angry and that has only ever happened once, apart from that moment. "It's true and you have every right to be angry."_

"_Of course, I do."_

"_Let me explain…"_

"_No need, I know the whole story. That bitch couldn't help herself to use it to turn us against you and I hate that you're making me swear so much!"_

"_Enough!" he yelled and Gwen closed her mouth, knowing not to push his buttons so much. Klaus paced and for a bit before managing to collect himself and he faced Gwen. "I didn't mean to or…I did, but I don't regret killing her."_

"_Why?" Gwen asked._

"_Mikael hated me and he never held back from displaying his feelings upon my flesh," he said as he stared at the ground. "My mother was always my escape. She took care of my wounds and made my favorite dinner whenever Mikael felt like I deserved a beating. I would talk to her and tell her everything I felt like saying. None of my siblings—not even Rebekah—knew how it truly hurt me that I was the burden of the man I looked up to. She loved me," he said as his eyes began to water and Gwen sighed, hating to see him like this. "Then, she left me alone to the darkness that consumed me and I couldn't handle it. My father's beatings grew worse, my siblings couldn't do much and, when it came time to seek the comfort that I needed, I was left alone to suffer."_

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><p>"<em>Well, I have no words,<em>" Gael says and Gwen sighs, knowing that Gael didn't approve with what Klaus did but is keeping it to herself since Klaus is Gwen's best friend.

"Yeah, and we also had an encounter with his dad," says Gwen.

"_Oh dear, is everyone all right?_" Gael asks, to which Gwen smiles, knowing that Gael will worry for others, even when she doesn't know them. "_I heard he's _The Hunter_; the vampire that hunts vampires._"

"Yes, it was a quick confrontation if you ask me."

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><p><em>Before Gwen took a step forward to help Klaus, Damon was knocked off of Klaus by Stefan with the stake dropping next to Klaus. Gwen ran over to Klaus and knelt next to him, sitting him up as she grabbed the stake. Gwen looked up and saw a man giving them his back and Klaus' hybrids groaning in pain while holding their faces on the ground.<em>

"_What are you doing?" Damon asked Stefan, who was pinning him down to the floor as the man turned to Gwen and Klaus._

"_Mikael?" Gwen whispered, not sure if he was who she thought he was since she has never seen Mikael in her entire life; she's only heard of him from Klaus when he told her stories about his father._

_Suddenly, Klaus took the stake from her hand and lunged at the man with a yell, dropping to the ground a few feet away from the front door. Gwen stood up and appeared where Klaus fell with the man. Klaus stood up to reveal he staked the man, who was screaming as his skin grayed with veins protruding from his skin before the stake engulfed itself and him in flames._

"_That was Mikael?" Gwen asked as she took Klaus' hand in hers, noticing the tears on his face while they watched the body burn._

_Klaus wiped away his tears and tightened his grip on her hand—most likely for comfort. "He was," he said and she nodded, glad that the man who tortured Klaus and his family was dead._

"_It's over," Gwen whispered as she looked at Klaus to see him nodding in agreement before he led them back to the entrance of the mansion where Stefan was still pinning down Damon to the floor._

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><p>"<em>I thought that would have been bloodier,<em>" Gael says.

"I thought so too, but I'm glad it's behind us," Gwen says as she leans back on the couch.

"_What else went on?_" asks Gael.

Gwen sighs. "His siblings are awake; finally."

"_Really?_" asks Gael.

"Yeah," Gwen answers as she hears shuffling upstairs, knowing that her companion must be getting ready for the day

"And his mother tried to kill her children, including me; she clearly failed."

"_Wasn't she dead? __She didn't hurt you, did she?_" Gaels asks and Gwen smiles at her friend's protective nature. "_If she did, I'll make sure she burns for the rest of eternity._"

"Nothing I couldn't handle."

"_She's dead now, right?_"

"She is now," says Gwen. "I hope."

"_You hope?_"

"She's a witch; they don't really stay or like to stay dead with business left unfinished. I really hope she's rotting in some hell or something."

"_Let's hope so,_" says Gael. "_What happened next?_"

Gwen grins as a blush appears on her cheeks when she hears footsteps descending the stairs. "Well, I met Nik's brother."

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><p><strong>And that is the Prologue. I hope you guys enjoyed and will continue to do so. Leave me your thoughts and opinions in your reviews or PMs. Love you guys and enjoy!<strong>

**See ya later!**


	2. Chapter 1

**Yay! It's the first chapter! Happy! Well, first, I want to thank you guys for the reviews, Faves and Follows. I hope you guys continue to enjoy and are looking forward to more. I was excited by your reviews and Faves and Follows that I just needed to post the first chapter today!**

**Remember, I own nothing of the Vampire Diaries. Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

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><p>"He can't be dead," I whisper, continuing to control my tears as they well up in my eyes while seating on the passenger seat of the car that Kol and I had originally ditched when we arrived at the airport, which we are using now to get back to Mystic Falls; this being my decision alone since Kol wanted to leave for London or anywhere, as long as it wasn't Mystic Falls and we put distance between us and the vampire hunter that had the white oak stake in his possession.<p>

"It won't turn true if you continue to chant it," Kol says with an irritated tone from the driver's seat, to which I only sigh with my eyes closed since I am too tired to enter into another argument with him over Klaus being dead. I can still remember our argument when I decided to return to Mystic Falls and Kol decided to tag along, but not without making sure to tell me it was an idiotic thing to do. "You're lucky that Bekah killed the hunter."

"Or what?" I challenge as I turn my puffy red eyes to him with his face still on the road. "You would have left me and gone on your merry way?"

He sighs with his grip on the steering wheel tightening in anger or frustration, his knuckles white. The silence that comes after is answer enough for me, to which I scoff in response as I turn to the trees that pass us by at the speed he's going. The thought of him just leaving me, if the circumstances had been different, only makes my insides clench in a mix of sadness, anger and many other things, but sadness and anger overshadowing the rest. I try to gulp down the tears, keeping them from rolling down my cheeks.

"That's comforting," I whisper to myself, knowing that he still heard me while I continue to refuse to look at him. "I can't even imagine what you'd do if the hunter or your mother got me. Wait, I know, you'd ditch me without even blinking."

"Gwen-"

"Don't," I cut him off as a tear manages to run down my cheek and I try to hold back the sniffle that wants to escape my body as I hastily wipe off the tear. I am overwhelmed with grief at the thought of Klaus being dead, at Kol having the ability to just leave me without a mere second thought, at the many memories that want to overwhelm me and so many things. "Just don't," I manage to exhale through a breathless sob.

Suddenly, the radio turns on and it shifts from station to station as I look over to it while trying to gather my emotions. I can hear the stations shifting from music to news and back to music and so forth. Kol frowns at it as the wipers turn on and only loud static is heard from the radio now, to which Kol and I wince in response at the volume while the lights flicker.

"Gwen?" Kol asks as he looks over to me and I close my eyes, trying to calm down. "Darling, I need you to calm down."

"I'm trying," I manage to say through a sob as I place my hands on the sides of my neck while the faces of my family fly through my mind.

I take deep breaths as my head begins to throb from my pain and I release a watery sob. I feel tears beginning to run down my cheeks, releasing them for the first time since I was told that Klaus I dead. I notice the car parking on the side of the road before the door to my side is opened and I am pulled out of the car by my arm. I look up to see Kol's brown eyes staring into mine while he grips my arms in a gentle hold.

"Gwen?" he says, making sure he has my attention and I keep my eyes locked on his while I try to control my sobbing. "Stop crying." I frown at his hard tone and I notice the distress in his eyes. "I loathe seeing you upset," he says, his tone defeated as he pulls me to his chest, wrapping his unsure arms around my trembling body.

I close my eyes and bury my face into his chest while wrapping my arms around his waist, keeping myself close to his body and taking in his warmth. Sobs completely engulf me as I tighten my hold around his waist, trying to hone in my emotions while also releasing my most overwhelming emotions. I feel Kol bury his face into the hair on the top of my head and taking deep breaths of my scent. I release a few more sobs into his shirt before I manage to take deep breaths to steady myself. I also have to take into account that Klaus was his brother and no switch is strong enough to shut off _all_ of his emotions at the loss of his brother.

"I'm sorry," I whisper into his shirt and his arms tighten around me.

"Whatever for?" he asks.

"I got your shirt wet," I sigh, my eyes stinging from my tears as I take comfort from his warmth and scent.

"It's just a shirt, darling," he whispers, to which I nod.

"Do you think he's dead?" I ask for the umpteenth time, needing more assurance that Klaus is really dead since he does have a knack for finding a way to survive. I can only feel my heart being squeezed at the mere thought of Klaus being dead. "He can't just be dead."

He pushes me away from his chest but doesn't separate our bodies, just enough to look down at my face. "I don't know," he says as his hands cup my cheeks, his thumbs getting rid of whatever tears that are still on my skin. I see a flash of sadness pass his eyes and I can't help but let new tears to escape my eyes and I feel a punch to my already shallow-beating heart. "Please, stop crying." He presses his forehead against mine, willing my tears to stop with his brown eyes locked on my jade-green ones. "I'll take your anger, hate or yelling, but not your tears."

I take a deep and shuddering breath, which works and my tears stop running down my cheeks. Kol takes it upon himself to clear my tears off my cheeks once more before stroking my cheeks. I sigh and continue taking deep breaths to calm myself as I bury myself into his embrace, taking comfort from his warmth as I feel him place his chin on the top of my head. I grip the back of his coat while his hands stroke my back, sending pleasant shivers down my spine.

"I would have followed you," I hear him say into the top of my head, to which I frown before I look up at his frowning face.

"What?" I ask, not disentangling myself from him.

His brown, alluring eyes lock on mine. "Even if the hunter was still alive and you would've come back, I would have still come after the incessant woman that you are like a dog with his tail between his legs." I smile at this and his lips quirk up into a lopsided smirk. _Oh, I do so loathe how this man can make me smile at a time like this,_ I think. _But I also like it._

"Now what?" I ask, wanting to know his input in all of this since I only demanded he come back with me, which I thought would have earned my neck being snapped but he had only glared at me and fetched the car without another word.

"Now," he as he disentangles himself from me, which causes my body to shiver at the loss of warmth, "we go back, cause a little chaos, find Nik in whatever state he's in and get out of dodge."

"Get the hell out of dodge," I correct and he frowns at me. "It's how it's said. It sounds better that way, but you said it just fine."

"Are you really going to give me a lesson in spelling?" he asks me with a quirked eyebrow.

"It's better if we just go," I say and he nods with a smirk before motioning me to get in the car, which I do before he shuts my door and gets on the driver's seat, pulling back onto the empty road. "Where are we going?"

"Our best bet is the mansion," he says and I nod as we make our way back to the mansion that Klaus built for his family.

"Bekah said she'd be there," I say, remembering that Rebekah called after Elijah had and informed us that she had also killed Elena, thus ending Alaric's life. "I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry for?" Kol asks as I turn to face his frowning face.

"You'll probably just shrug it off, but," I begin and he seems to know where I'm going with this, "he was your brother." He only sighs before turning back to the road. "And I know it hurts."

"Good riddance to him," he says, making me frown at him.

"You don't mean that."

"Don't I?" he says with a trace of a chuckle. "I should mourn the man that daggered me when he didn't approved of how I lived? He stole my life from me, coming to him as simple as swatting a fly. Excuse me if I don't mourn the splendid brother I had."

"Still, you care, even if it is in the deepest and darkest corner of your being," I say as I look towards the road. "Deep down, you know you'll miss him and it's not me you're trying to convince."

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><p>"Bekah," I call as I enter the mansion with Kol behind me and he closes the door behind us. "Bekah, are you here?"<p>

I jump when I hear crashing and Kol stands in front of me protectively. I grab hold of the back of his jacket while he seems to be listening in on whoever might be here. He releases a sigh before leading us to the study where Klaus had most of his sketches and unfinished portraits. I sigh in relief when I see the back of Rebekah as she appears to be sobbing with Klaus' sketches on the floor.

"Bex?" I whisper as I leave Kol's side to approach her. She turns to face me and her face crumbles further before we have our arms wrapped around each other, our embrace tight and trying to comfort one another.

"I was there," I hear her choke on a sob next to my ear, which only causes tears to spill from my eyes. "I was there and I did nothing."

I hold back a sob once more, which is getting difficult. _It's real,_ I think. _He really is dead._ I am never going to see that hybrid's smirk or dimples again. The man that took care of me and showed me a new way to live as a ghost is now dead and I will never breathe the same air as him because he's dead. I will never hear him chuckle or snigger or even yell. I lost my _brother_.

"It wasn't your fault, Bex," I whisper, a sob of my own wanting to escape but I manage to hold it down.

She pulls away from me and wipes the tears off her face while I do the same, getting tired of crying so much. "I avenged him, at least."

"Really?" Kol asks incredulously as he approaches us, angry frown on his face. "And you're sure that the doppelgänger is dead?"

Rebekah sighs, her face doubtful. "She drowned and the hunter that killed our brother died with her."

"We're even," says Kol, not showing any type of emotion to the fact that he only has one older brother left. "It's best to leave."

"I still don't understand how they are all alive," Rebekah says with her forehead creased in confusion. "They belonged to Nik's bloodline and they are all still alive."

"Maybe they had some witch severe the connection," Kol suggests with a shrug of his shoulders. "It is possible, but only by a powerful witch that knows about tricky spells. It could have been that Bennett witch."

"Where is his body?" I ask, wanting to give Klaus a proper burial and just leave this wasteland of a town. Kol and Rebekah look to me. "The least we can do is to give him a proper burial and be done with this town."

"Where is it, Bekah?" Kol asks as he and Rebekah stand in front of one another, his eyes soft when they meet his sister's eyes. "I won't deny that he does deserve to be buried in a coffin."

"At the warehouse where he was staked," Rebekah answers and I notice that they are somehow giving each other comfort through their eyes. Suddenly, their faces turn hard. "You should know better than to eavesdrop on the conversation of decent people." I frown and turn to see Damon entering the room while looking around, which turns my frown into a glare.

"Good advice," Damon says as he looks at me. "Have you seen any?"

"Ever witty with your sarcasm," I say. "I wonder how that would go without your tongue."

"That a challenge, Blondie?" Damon asks me as he takes a menacing step towards me, but I hold my ground, not in the mood to endure his attitude.

"You're treading on dangerous territory, Salvatore," Kol says as he stands to my left but a bit in front of me in a protective manner while Rebekah stands on my right, their faces mirroring my glare as we stare at the oldest Salvatore.

"Tragic about Elena," Rebekah says, trying to hit a sore spot and she succeeds by the look on Damon's face. "Not to make the gray cloud grayer, but does Matt even have automobile insurance?"

She gives Damon her back and he lunges at her. Rebekah and I gasp when we see the indestructible white oak, but Kol manages to stop Damon by grasping his arm that holds the stake before it's plunged into Rebekah's heart. Kol pins Damon back into some boxes by his neck with his other hand, tightening his grip on the Salvatore's wrist until the latter drops the stake. I see Kol smirk as he plunges his hand into Damon's chest, ready to pull it out.

I flinch when I hear gunshots and turn to Kol when I hear him groan in pain as he releases Damon from the pain because of the bullets in his back. Rebekah gasps and I yelp from the sting in my chest, turning to see a wooden arrow in her chest from the same window the gunshots came from. Her skin turns gray with protruding veins around her body before she falls on the floor, appearing like a dead vampire would.

"Rebekah," I say as I go to help her but Kol grabs me around the waist in a vice grip with a pained look on his face, blurring us out of the room as more gunshots come through the windows, to which I scream in surprise. "We can't leave her." Kol grunts in pain as he keeps me against his chest while hiding behind a wall, away from the windows.

"We can't save her, not like this," he says with his mouth next to my ear, his breathing is labored and I know that he's right since we don't know what we're up against. "She's an Original and the Salvatore took the only weapon that can kill her with him." The firing stops and I hear a door slamming open or closed. "They're inside and too many for me to fight with wooden bullets in my back that are most likely laced with vervain. We have to go."

"Where?" I whisper, glancing at Rebekah's corpse and I squeak in surprise when Kol lifts me up in his arms.

"Anywhere," he says, wrapping my arms around his neck and closing my eyes before he blurs us out of the house.

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><p>"You need me to what?" I ask with my eyes wide in shock as I keep my eyes locked with a glaring Kol after we settled in the woods a little away from the mansion, a stream near us.<p>

"I need you to get the bloody bullets out of my back so we can save my brat of a sister and retrieve the bloody stake," he growls and I can't get mad since he's told me to do this a few times now while I only asked him the same thing in reply.

I sigh in defeat. "Fine," I say as I notice that our bickering has been rather long since the sun is beginning to set, but still offering some hours of light. "How do I do this?"

He turns away from me and kneels down on the edge of where the stream is, taking off his coat and then his shirt with a grunt, folding them in a ball before placing them next to him. I approach him as I take notice of the muscles of his back and the four holes in it where the bullets are. He sits on his bottom with his knees bent in front of him and I kneel behind him, tracing the tips of my fingers on the skin around the holes in his back. I sigh as I hate the tears that want to escape my eyes. I close my eyes and place a hand on his shoulder with the stream and the forest being the only sound that I hear. Kol places a hand on top of the one I have on his shoulder, squeezing it in his own.

"Not an hour back and we are ambushed in our own home," he says with a humorless chuckle as I lean my forehead on our joined hands, sighing. "This truly is a cursed town."

"I should have listened to you and we would have been in London by now," I say as I lift my forehead and place my chin on our joined hands.

"Then you wouldn't be my most infuriating woman," he says, releasing my hand and straightens up, to which I follow his example. "You'll have to dig in and pull the bullets out." I smile a bittersweet smile at the change of subject, noticing his not good with sharing feelings or emotions.

"And how do I do that?" I ask with a frown since we don't have anything for me to use to get the bullets out.

"With your hands," he says matter-of-factly, to which I widen my eyes in shock while scrunching up my nose in disgust.

"What?" I ask in disbelief. "You want me to dig my fingers in your back and pull them out? You have to be joking."

"No, I'm not and we're wasting time and light," he says and I groan, knowing that he is right once more. "Scurry on with it; I want to get this done and packed up."

"I don't think I can," I say, not looking forward to have my fingers in his back. "I can't just put my fingers into your back."

"Why the bloody hell not?" he asks in outrage, glancing at me over his shoulder.

"It's wrong," I say.

"Gwen, the bullets are made of wood and they will only inch closer to my vital organs and that will not be a fun affair," he says and I sigh. "Don't look at it and imagine you're digging for treasure."

"Not helping," I say as I brace a hand on his back with the other hovering over one of the holes. "Okay." I take a deep breath before closing my eyes and plunging two fingers into one of the holes, causing Kol to groan in pain while I feel goosebumps ghost over my skin at the feeling of my fingers in his back. "This is not fun. This is disgusting, not that you are, but this is disgusting."

"I fully agree with you, darling," he groans out as I manage to find the bullet with a bit of difficulty grasping it, pulling it out and watching the wound healing itself. Kol sighs in relief as I drop the bloody bullet in disbelief, feeling a bit lightheaded.

"I don't feel so good," I say while panting, hearing Kol chuckle.

"Three more and you can pass out on me," he says and I nod in agreement.

"Okay," I say, getting ready to pull out the other bullet. "If nothing had happened, if we had gone to London, what do you think we'd be doing about now?" I ask, wanting to get my mind off of what I'm doing.

He chuckles, but not before releasing a groan when I dig into another hole. "Depends." He groans when I manage to pull out the bullet. "If we were on a bed, I'd be ravishing you." I chuckle as I dig into the third hole as the last heals up like the first. "If we were on a couch, I'd be ravishing you." He practically growls at me when I dig for the fourth and last bullet. "If we were in the kitchen, I'd be taking a bite out of you." He hisses when I pull the bullet out, dropping the bullet while his back heals fully and grinning at everything he said.

"You'd just ravish me everywhere, huh?" I ask and he chuckles.

"That's the plan," he says as I pick up his shirt and coat and stand up before he follows my lead, stretching his muscle while I practically drool at his bare upper body, which he notices with a proud smirk. "You can do as you please with me, darling. I'd rather enjoy the idea of you taking control." I merely blush at this and hand him his clothes.

"Get dressed," I say, not looking at him. "We'll get Rebekah, bury Nik and leave. I don't want to stay any longer in this place than we already have." My skin is practically crawling in disgust at being in this 'cursed town' as Kol had put it.

"As my lady commands," he says, smirk in place as he puts his clothes on and I roll my eyes at him.

"We should check the mansion," I suggest. "Maybe start looking there?"

"It's the only place to go," he says after putting on his clothes. "I also need a bath."

* * *

><p>"I can't believe I'm saying this," I say as Kol and I enter the mansion, "but I am exhausted and I really want a bed."<p>

"Almost there," he says as he makes his way over to the stairs. "I'll take a shower and change, holler if you need me."

"Yeah," I say as I nod at him, watching him go up the staircase, but frown when I feel two other beings in the house, finally having my powers in check after my emotions had gone haywire.

I frown and follow the trail that is to lead me to wherever it is that there are the other two people in the mansion. I am close to one of the living rooms and freeze just before entering the room when I hear the unmistakable and familiar voice that comes from it. I can't help but smile in pure and unshakable happiness.

"Rest assured, I had a worse day than you," Klaus's voice says from within the room while I try to make sure that I am not imagining things from where I am frozen on the spot. "I think it's time for us to move on, find some more werewolves."

"So you can create your hybrid family?" I hear Rebekah ask, hearing the wetness in her tone that holds anger and sadness, to which I frown. "You don't know anything about family!"

"Well, I know how easily they can be silenced with a dagger," Klaus says and my blood runs cold at his behavior. I have always known Klaus to be cruel, but not like this. "No!" His voice brings me back with a flinch while also hearing something being thrown. "Drop them."

"I mourned you!" Rebekah says as I take a step out of hiding and find Rebekah holding a blood bag in each hand while Klaus eyed both of them warily like a hungry dog that couldn't reach a mere bone. "Gwen mourned you, even Kol in his own way!"

"Well, she's halfway around the world by now, she's no longer my concern," he says, not even noticing me at the doorway of the room, keeping his eyes solely on the blood bags. "Not that it matters to me."

Rebekah shakes her head in disbelief and I notice the tears welling up in her eyes. "You don't deserve her! Our hearts broke thinking we'd never see you again!"

"Put the blood down, Rebekah, there's a good girl," Klaus says and I can't help but stare in utter disbelief at the sight of his crazed eyes on the blood bags.

I never knew he'd be so dependent on making more hybrids that his desire trumps his own family, even when they're willing to stand by him. It only hurts more that it also trumps our friendship, which has my eyes well up with tears. It is pure acid to my skin to know that I don't matter to him as much as a stupid hybrid would and I don't want to believe that, I don't, but hearing him say it only solidifies everything that I have been told that Klaus would do with me, which is to throw me away when I am no longer useful or meaningful.

"It's always been me!" says Rebekah. "Not Finn. Not Elijah, not Kol, me. I loved you through everything and you don't even care. I bet you never even cared about Gwen."

"Drop it!" I flinch at Klaus yelling at his sister.

"You want your family?" Rebekah asks, her eyes determined. "Here's your family." She grips the blood bags tighter, causing the liquid to burst out and become useless to Klaus, for it no longer grants him the ability to create hybrids.

Klaus blurs over to Rebekah, gripping her neck with both hands in his anger while I can't find it in myself to move and I am surprised to find it is because I am afraid. I am afraid of Klaus. This is what he's doing to his own sister, his flesh and blood, and I don't want to even imagine what he'd do to me if I ever did something like that to him.

"You know something, Rebekah, you're right," says Klaus, his tone dark as Rebekah wheezes while struggling to get out of his grip, which is pointless. "I don't care. From this moment on, you're not my family, you're not my sister. And Gwen can philander with Kol all she wants and she'll just turn out to be just like the wench that was her ancestor. Both of you mean nothing." He breaks her neck and I feel the sting of it in my own as Klaus turns from her body, only to freeze with his eyes wide when he sees me for the first time. "Gwen."

"Stay away from me," I whisper, taking a step back when he takes one towards me.

"Sweetheart-" He falls dead on the floor with Kol standing over his body after having broken Klaus' neck while I keep my eyes on the body of the man I thought I knew, feeling his death on the sting in my neck.

"Gwen?" I look up to find Kol in front of me, his eyes filled with anger and I know it's not at me, but they also hold sympathy. "What did I say about you crying?" I frown and touch my cheek with a hand, coming in contact with a wet cheek and I don't know when I had started to cry. "I'll have none of that." He wipes away my tears, but I can't help the new tears that continue to run down my cheeks.

"I hate this," I sob as I angrily try to wipe away the tears, loathing how much I have cried today. "I can't stop." I release another sob as I lower my arms in defeat. "He said those things and now I have no one. I'm alone and I hate that I can't stop crying. I hate how weak and pathetic I am!"

Next thing I know, lips crash into mine with hands cupping my face harshly, keeping me in place. I sigh against Kol's lips, kissing him back with as much force as I wrap my arms around his neck, fisting my hand in his hair. He now holds the back of my head to continue bruising my lips with his, teeth and all; it's so raw and strong that my mind completely shuts down, exhausted from this day and just wanting it to end. He shoves his tongue into my mouth and dominating me with ease, not separating from my lips and just wanting to give me what I want, which is some comfort. And I can't help but find relief in his desperate gesture.

Unfortunately, it ends when he pulls away and presses his forehead against mine with our hands kept in place on one another. Our labored breathing mingles as our eyes lock onto one another. I can tell that he's not good with comforting others with words, so he acts; actions do speak louder than words and I know he tried to calm me down while trying to comfort me, which worked somewhat. I only find myself emotionally exhausted, hurt and just feeling too much things at the same time, causing my head to throb.

"You have me," he whispers, to which I sigh as I follow his eyes with mine. "And as long as you're mine, you will _never_ be alone. Do you understand me?" I can only nod, wanting to actually say something but having no energy for it. "We can leave and put this all behind us. We can look to the next morning and no further. It'll be you and me and wherever the day takes us." Once more, I only nod at him. "I do despise how soft you make me." I feel a corner of my lips quirk a bit, to which he grins.

"London?" I ask with a hoarse voice, my eyes never straying from his.

"And the rest of the world," he confirms, to which I give him a small smile, which is the best I can muster while knowing that smiles won't come so easily to me for a while.

* * *

><p><strong>The end of the first chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed. Tell me what you think about it and don't be shy! Just review or PM me your thoughts, opinions, and whatever else is on your mind!<strong>

**Well, see ya later!**


	3. Chapter 2

**Here is the next chapter! I really want to thank you guys for your support in you reviews, Faves and Following. I really enjoy that you guys love this story.**

**My heart broke having to separate Gwen and Klaus but it had to be done. Besides, Klaus hadn't really let out the steam that was building up at having Gwen spend so much time with Kol and choosing him in the end. With Gwen and Klaus' separation comes more time between Gwen and Kol, but don't worry, we'll have Gwen and Klaus soon. I love their friendship for a reason.**

**Well, hope you guys enjoy and remember that nothing about the Vampire Diaries belongs to me, except for what obviously does. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

* * *

><p>I can only stare out the window of the car in pure amazement at the new sights that London offers. Kol and I had arrived earlier tonight and we had been picked up by a chauffeur; the same one that is driving us to the place we're going to be staying in for the duration of our travelling. It is the second day after we left Mystic Falls on the same night that we found out that Klaus wasn't really dead. Kol had originally been a bit hesitant about flying since he has never flown before, but he got over it and enjoyed the ride; at least he did. Kol and I are currently sitting on the back of the limousine next to one another, but I can only find myself staring out the window at the lit streets of London with many people walking around the streets without a care in the world. I had almost forgotten that I had to make sure I was visible when we had arrived earlier in my silent excitement since I still have Klaus fresh in my mind.<p>

The constricting feeling around my chest lessens a bit the more I continue to look around, my eyes never leaving the view that London has to offer. I still feel hurt and sad after what happened with Klaus, not talking too much while Kol had tried to get me talking. I feel like I am delivered a punch to my chest every time I remember Klaus. I do feel guilty that I merely brushed Kol off, answering with no more than one word to each attempt at him starting a conversation. He ceased trying during the plane and only huffed in annoyance at my lack of attention on him. I think I've had enough of this little silent treatment of mine since I find stupid to mope all the time while being here, deciding that I do not need to focus on Klaus.

"It's beautiful," I say before turning away from the window and facing Kol, who raises his brows at me in surprise. "Everything is so new. I can't wait for you to show me what else this place has to offer."

He smirks. "Darling, you haven't seen anything yet."

"Did you have a home here?" I ask as I turn back to watch the view from the window.

"I did," he says. "We all did. Bekah, Elijah, Nik and I lived here for some time, but we didn't stay long. We had Mikael on our tail and it wasn't wise to stay in one place for too long, not that I made it easy with the amount of trouble I caused, or so Elijah said. I never did anything wrong."

"I bet that had to do with drinking blood to your heart's content," I say. "And a bit of turning humans to vampires, or am I wrong?"

"You know me well, darling," he says as he leans closer to me, causing me to sigh while a blush coats my cheeks at having him so close, which is what I need right now. "I'll drop you off at the hotel," he says before his lips begin to lower down to my throat. I close my eyes at the warmth his lips leave on my skin and tilt my head a bit to give him a better angle. "I'll have to go eat something because your blood is driving me mad." I turn to him and I'm not surprised to find that his vampiric features have manifested.

"You okay?" I ask, wary of how deep his hunger is and his face appears human now.

"No need to be afraid," he says. I may be wary of him because of the time he bit me, but I can't say I am afraid of him; fear isn't what I'm feeling. "I won't be feeding from you anytime soon, unless you ask it of me." I roll my eyes at his playful smirk. I lift a hand and place it on his cheek; keeping my eyes solely on his while he eyes my actions curiously.

"I am not afraid," I say.

"You should be," he says and I shrug at him.

"I'm not."

"We'll have to remedy that," he says and I only tilt my head at him with a playful annoyed look. His hand cups my cheek and leans closer with his eyes closing and I follow his example, waiting for his lips to be placed on mine.

"Sir?" the chauffeur asks, causing Kol to growl in annoyance while I chuckle at the expense of his annoyance. The chauffeur, whose name I don't remember, is an older man in his fifties with hair graying and a look of formality about him. "Forgive me for the interruption, but we have arrived to our destination."

"Thank you, Angus," Kol says, his face smiling but he's actually quite upset at having our moment interrupted. "Perfect timing." I chuckle at his sarcasm, noticing that the car had stopped in front of a hotel. "Be a good sport and fetch our bags."

Angus nods at Kol from the rearview mirror before exiting the car. Angus opens Kol's door before he goes to the trunk. Kol exits the car and extends a hand for me to take, which I do and he helps me out of the car. My lips quirk a bit at the sight of the many buildings, noticing a park nearby with brown leaves that coated each tree, streets and sidewalk. I turn to gaze at the hotel we'll be staying at, amazed at the height and wondering which embellished room we'll be staying in. I am pulled back by Kol and into his chest, loving his arms around me as I continue to gaze at my surroundings.

"Angus is going to take you to our room now," I hear Kol say and I frown before turning to him with a questioning look.

"You're not coming?"

"I really need to feed, my darling," he says and I can see the hunger in his eyes and his whole body seems to want to just tear into someone's throat. "By any chance, are you offering?" I only raise an eyebrow at him, unimpressed. "Thought so." He leans in and places a chaste kiss on my cheek, leaving me wanting for more, which is probably what he is aiming for by the appearance of his smirk. "I'll be back soon."

"Be careful," I say and I mean for him to be careful to not get caught, not that I don't worry for his safety. "The last thing we need is to bring attention to us."

"I'm no novice," he says as he tucks a stray strand of hair behind my ear and I shake my head at him before he turns to the sidewalk, mingling into the crowd of people.

"Are you ready, Miss Mikaelson?" Angus asks from standing next to me and I have to blink a few times before noticing what he referred to me as.

"'Miss Mikaelson'?" I question as I turn to him with a frown, noticing he had a valet carry Kol's bags.

"Mister Kol told me your name is Gwen Mikaelson, is it not?" he asks me and I can't find myself contradicting him, so I merely nod with a small smile.

"It is, I am just not used to being called by it," I lie, already planning how to get back at Kol for this.

Angus smiles warmly. "It never is when you've just been married, miss. Shall we have you settle?" _I am going to strangle that cheeky Original vampire for spouting lies._

"Sure," I say and I follow him as he leads me into the hotel with the valet following us with Kol's bags placed on a baggage cart.

A man by the door opens the door for us with a kind smile that I return and says, "Good evening."

"To you as well," I say with a nod before going inside into the lobby of the hotel.

"Wait here while I have everything sorted," Angus tells me as he goes over to the front desk, probably to check into the hotel.

My eyes are still wide in amazement at the interior of the hotel. The lobby is beautifully lit with breathtaking chandeliers. It's decorated with sofas all around, some being occupied by guests. It also has plants and other small decorations around with no empty space that is not somehow decorated. There are also many tables where some guests are eating small snacks, desserts or a type of beverage with a bar nearby. All in all, this is a hotel that seems to satisfy an Original vampire's needs.

"This way, Miss Mikaelson," Angus says, breaking me out of my gazing and I nod at him as he leads me over to an elevator, which we enter while the valet leaves the baggage cart with a bellhop of the hotel to take to our room through another elevator. The bellhop must be in his thirties with blond hair that is wavy while slicked back.

Angus pushes a button and the elevator door closes, ascending as it takes us to the floor Kol and I will be staying in. I cannot help but fidget as I stand next to Angus without talking, not really knowing what to talk about with him, especially since I am not really good with people I know nothing about.

"Here we are," he says as the door opens in my floor and I could have sworn I detected a bit of relief in his tone and I understand why, if he did.

"Thank you, Angus," I say as he leads me over to a door and the bellhop with Kol's bags on a baggage cart appears from around a corner.

"You are most welcome, Miss Mikaelson," Angus says as he gives me the keys to my room. "Give my regards to Mister Mikaelson."

I nod with a small smile as I open the door to the room I'll be sharing with Kol. "I will and have a good evening, Angus." He nods in response with a kind smile before taking his leave.

"After you, miss," the bellhop tells me, to which I nod before opening the door and stepping inside the room that has the light on. My eyes widen in pure and utter shock at what I come into view with.

"Is this the right room?" I ask as the bellhop drops Kol's bags near the sofa before coming to stand next to me while my eyes go to the amazing view this place has.

"Yes, miss," the bellhop says with a grin. "It is quite breathtaking. It is a duplex apartment-style living quarters with floor-to-ceiling windows, which gives you a perfect view of the Royal Parks and Wellington Arch." My eyes roam over the room as he describes the place. "The floating staircase links the two floors. You have a most comfortable eight-seater sofa with and a dining area. Upstairs you will have the perfect view of the skyline, which you can absorb from the grand king-size bed, the jet walk-in shower, or while soaking in the bath. You will also have a living area upstairs with the bed with the telly for entertainment. The suite is replete with bespoke furnishings, generous wardrobe space, and is designed to give the best comfort."

"Thank you," I say, turning to him with a small smile. "What is your name?"

"Andrew, miss," he answers with a small nod.

"Thank you, Andrew."

"You are welcome. I'll be taking my leave, miss," he says and I nod, following him to the door.

"Again, thank you," I say and he nods at me with a polite smile before taking his leave and I shut the door behind him.

I turn back to the room and approach the huge and breathtaking windows, placing my hands on the crystal as I look to the view of the night in London with lights all around and people keeping the city alive all night long. I look around the room and find that I am missing something, which prompts my action to call for some room service to have it ready before Kol returns.

* * *

><p>"How was dinner?" I ask Kol as he enters the apartment while I am sat on the coffee table in front of the eight-seater sofa.<p>

He sighs before placing his wallet and phone on the dinner table. "Same as always," he says as he takes his coat off. "There was a bit of screaming, some struggling and it was not your blood."

"I'm finding that you're complimenting my blood too much recently," I say as I narrow my eyes at him playfully, deciding to ignore his description about his feeding. "Is my blood that good?"

"You have no bloody idea," he says as I stand up and go over to the dining table before picking up his phone. "What are you doing?"

"I promised you dance lessons, didn't I?" I ask as I walk over to the radio I requested. I search for the song I'm thinking about for our first dance before connecting Kol's iPhone on the radio. I turn to him and find him smirking at me. "Do you still want them?"

Kol approaches me, grinning widely. "You're the teacher."

"We're starting slow," I say as I turn on the radio and the song begins to play, which is 'The Weight' by The Band. I take Kol's left hand in my right before placing his right hand on my hip and my left on his right shoulder. I begin to sway slowly to the song with him following my example and our eyes are locked on one another.

_I pulled into Nazareth, I was feelin' about half past dead_

_I just need some place where I can lay my head_

"_Hey, mister, can you tell me where a man might find a bed?"_

_He just grinned and shook my hand and, "No", was all he said_

We sway back and forth as we move in a circle, keeping a few inches of spce between our bodies; not that Kol will get rid of it soon enough. We simply transfer our weight back and forth. I don't find it surprising that Kol takes the lead immediately. I don't know why I thought I'd be the one teaching an Original how to dance since he has probably done all types of dancing there is throughout his life.

_Take a load off Anny_

_Take a load for free_

_Take a load off Anny_

_And you put the load right on me_

_(You put the load right on me)_

"What does the song mean?" Kol asks me, his cheek pressed to my temple as we continue to sway to the song.

"Well, I never knew what it meant," I say as my forehead creases in thought. "I think it's a song open for interpretation. It can mean something different to each person that has heard it."

"What does it mean to you?" he asks me, catching me a bit off guard.

_I picked up my bag and I went lookin' for a place to hide_

_When I saw Carmen and the Devil walkin' side by side_

_And I said, "Hey, Carmen, come on, would you like to go downtown?"_

_And she said, "Well, I gotta go but my friend can stick around"_

"I believe it is religious in some way, but at the same time it's not," I say, thinking about the lyrics. "I think it tries to show how sainthood can be near impossible, for we all have our flaws and mistakes."

"We all have those," Kol says as he twirls me and brings me back into his chest, wrapping his arms around my waist while I place my hands on his shoulders before we continue to sway to the song. "There is not a saint on this earth that doesn't carry a sin with them."

"How many do you carry?" I ask him and his face is filled with mirth. "Being a vampire, you probably have a lot. No offense."

"None taken, and, in many people's eyes, I have too many to count," he answers, to which I chuckle lowly. "How many do _you_ carry?"

"A few if compared to your amount."

_Take a load off Anny_

_Take a load for free_

_Take a load off Anny_

_And you put the load right on me_

_(You put the load right on me)_

"Kol?" I ask with a frown as I remember some specific words that Klaus had said.

"Yes?" he hums as he buries his face into my neck, taking a deep breath, probably lusting for my blood but I know he won't bite me. "What is it?"

"Do you believe I'll turn out like Jen?" I ask and he stops swaying before he lifts his head to lock eyes with me, still keeping me in his arms while his eyes harden.

"Why do you ask?" he asks and I sigh before looking away from his eyes, for he didn't answer, which appears that he still has doubts. "Gwen?"

"Do you?" I ask, still not looking at his eyes while my hands drop to his arms. "Do you think I'll carry her sins with me?"

"No," he says and I look up with a frown at his answer, noticing his eyes boring into mine. "I choose to believe that you won't."

_Take a load off Anny_

_Take a load for free_

_Take a load off Anny_

_And you put the load right on me_

_(You put the load right on me)_

"What if-"

"You don't even know her sins," he says and I sigh. _He has a point there,_ I think to myself. "You do not have the personality or malice to carry her sins. You're too pure, innocent, naïve and much more. Trust me, you'd have to let your soul fester for an eternity before you become like her."

"What were they?" I ask, our dance lesson forgotten as the song replays. "Her sins, I mean."

He sighs as he looks away from me. "That's a story for another day."

"Okay," I sigh, not expecting him to open up to me about her in the near future but finding myself eager to know. "For when?"

"Give me time," he says as his eyes meet mine once more. His hands cup my face and I place my hands over his. "There are some memories that I'd rather just compel myself to forget."

I nod, offering him a smile. "So do I." _So do I._

He leans closer until our lips meet for the first time today, our eyes closed. He softly molds his lips against mine as he pulls me closer to his body, not wanting any space between our bodies. I wrap my arms around his neck while one of his hands goes to my hip. For the first time, I notice how more experienced he is at kissing; well, a lot more experienced than me. It only makes me wonder how many other women he's been with, but I push the thought aside and continue to follow his lead in the kiss. The kiss heats up when his tongue enters my mouth, which he dominates once more, even though I did put more of a fight this time.

I pull away, feeling a bit too overwhelmed by the kiss, my feelings and especially by him; I could care less what his sins are, I am crazy about this man and his lips that won't quit. He only smirks while I give him a small smile, trying to be apologetic after working him up to only pull away without giving him much warning.

"Sorry," I say. "I'm kinda new at this."

"No need for apologies," he says with a cheeky smile. "I'm only honored to have swept you off your feet." I roll my eyes at this smug look.

"Well, it's been a long trip," I say. "We—and I mean you—need to rest."

He playfully rolls his eyes at me before going over to the stairs. "You like having power, don't you?"

"I think I can be a bit ambitious," I say. "Besides, it isn't like you aren't."

"Oh, I am," he says, sounding obvious just by someone looking at him. "Still, you should know that I prefer to be the one in charge."

"We'll see about that," I say and a slow grin appears on his lips.

I flick my hand and the lights from this floor turn off. I turn to go over to Kol, but my attention goes to his ringing phone with a single name on the screen that tells me who is calling. I pick the phone up, disconnecting it from the radio as it vibrates in my hands. My eyes re-read the name, not really wanting to believe it's him. _Klaus._ I sigh before I decide to ignore the call with trembling hands. I put the phone in vibrate and leave it on the coffee table before following Kol upstairs, deciding that it is not the time to deal with Klaus, no matter how much it pains me to ignore him.

"I must say," he begins as he goes over to his bags on the sofa in the little living room in front of the bed, which I had placed there earlier, "you are a glorious kisser." I notice he doesn't address the thing about Klaus calling only ten seconds ago, which I'm grateful for.

I chuckle and make my way towards the bed with a blush on my cheeks before I lie down, deciding to accompany him while he sleeps. "Aren't you a charmer?"

"My charms worked on you," he says as he takes out comfortable clothes to wear tonight and goes to the bathroom. "They got me a most ravishing ghost that has a sharp tongue."

"And you like pretty things with sharp tongues," I say trying to mock his accent, only to sound rather off key, which causes Kol to laugh from the bathroom and I huff in irritation. "Excuse me for not being born British."

He appears back in the room, still chuckling before plopping down on the bed beside me. "You are horrible at accents. Do them as much as you like in private, but refrain from doing so in public. People might find it offensive."

"Really?" I ask challengingly and he nods while continuing to chuckle. "Well, goodnight, Mister Mikaelson." I turn on my side, giving him my back as he continues to chuckle before it dies down. A soft smile grows on my lips when I feel him spooning me from behind, wrapping an arm around my waist. "I would also appreciate it if you told people my real name."

"Goodnight, Miss Mikaelson," he chuckles and I shiver when he pecks the back of my neck. I kick his leg, eliciting a hiss out of him, to which I grin. "Easy."

"You deserve it."

* * *

><p>I swing my legs upwards in boredom from where I'm lying on the bed some hours after Kol had woken up, only to have him go out to have a 'snack'. I understood him since he had gone without blood for too long; last night being the first time after the whole ordeal in Mystic Falls. Now I find myself quite bored and anxious for him to return as I look at the skyline, watching birds fly by without a care in the world<p>

I hear the door to the apartment open and then close, which means that Kol has arrived. I glance once more at the skyline from where I am sprawled on the bed staring at it before jumping up from the bed. I hurry down the stairs, eager to see Kol after having nothing to do but watch television and not much else.

"Finally," I say as I take the last step to the bottom. "I didn't think that grabbing breakfast was that much work." I gasp in surprise when my eyes fall on a tall and muscular man, appearing to be almost as tall as Kol. He has shoulder-length, wavy dark brown hair with brown eyes, both being a darker shade than Kol's hair and eyes. I can also see the growing of stubble on his chin. He appears to be in his early thirties. He's wearing a burgundy buttoned-up shirt with dark pants and shoes with a black leather jacket. I notice a ring on his left index finger, which means it's his lapis lazuli ring to keep him from burning in the sun. "Who are you?" I ask, standing tall and unwavering.

"Well, well," the stranger says with a heavy British accent, his eyes hungry as they roam all over me, to which I scrunch up my nose and I try to keep my hands still from wanting to wring my wrists nervously under this man's gaze. "I'm guessing that dinner is served."

His face transforms and I recognize the vampire features manifesting as his lips turn into a dark smirk that causes an unpleasant shiver to go through my skin. My full attention is on the fangs he's baring at me. He lunges at me and I scream before disappearing from his way and appearing behind him. He turns to me with a frown, clearly not having anticipated having me disappear into thin air. He's vampire features disappear while he continues to smirk at me, which is unnerving.

"That wasn't very nice," he says and he lunges at me once more, only to be stopped by Kol appearing in front of me with a heated glare on his features.

"What do you think you are doing, Alfie?" Kol asks as he keeps his glare on the vampire while I come to stand next to him, frowning at them both.

"Sorry, mate," the unknown vampire—Alfie—says as he keeps his hungry eyes on me while approaching us. "I thought your companion was human. I never knew a vampire could smell so delicious." I frown when I hear him talking to Kol like they know each other.

"She's not a vampire and she's certainly not a meal," Kol says as the vampire meets Kol's eyes and his predatory look disappears when he notices Kol's glare on him.

"She's a keeper?" Alfie asks, getting no answer from Kol. "Is Kol Mikaelson whipped?"

Kol's smirk mirrors the vampire's own smirk, to which I frown. "Not exactly."

"Kol?" I ask and he turns to me.

"It's all right, darling," he tells me as he takes my shoulders and makes me stand in front of him but close to his front, my eyes on Alfie's every movement.

"He tried to have me for dinner," I say, disliking the fact that every supernatural being tries to bite me. "That's not all right."

"I do apologize for that." I glare at Alfie, disliking him already. "I thought Kol was giving me a present," he says as he approaches me. Kol doesn't seem threatened or worried, so I remain calm. "My name is Alfred, my lady," he says as he takes my hand in his and places a chaste kiss on my knuckles without taking his eyes off mine, which causes my skin to crawl. I can feel Kol's eyes penetrating Alfred's form with jealousy and his grip on my shoulders tightening a bit. "Please, call me Alfie. It is always a pleasure to meet a lady as delectable as you."

"I'm Gwen," I answer, subtly taking my hand out of his. "Gwen Pierson."

"Such a lovely name, my dear," Alfred says and I can't help but feel uncomfortable under his gaze, which Kol seems to notice.

"Do I need to threaten you not to even think about touching her like you almost did or are we clear?" Kol says with a smirk, but the seriousness is there in his tone as Alfred meets Kol's eyes, nodding.

"No need, mate," Alfred says as he glances at me for a moment. "I do know not to get on your bad side."

"He's a very old friend," Kol tells me and I nod.

"How old?" I ask either of them, truly curious.

Alfred turns to me. "I'd say about eight-hundred years old; something like that."

My eyebrows rise in surprise at this. "I can see that you haven't learned any manners in all those year."

"Yeah, I keep things real," Alfred says as he goes over to the sofa, taking a seat while I roll my eyes at his attitude. "Care to share what you've been up to, mate?"

"Not much," Kol says as he goes over to the sofa, taking a seat a few inches away from Alfred while I remain standing. "I was daggered a few times and traveled when I wasn't. I was un-daggered just recently and I am adjusting."

"And the pretty lady you can't keep your hands off?" Alfred asks as he motions to me and I scrunch up my nose at the nickname he used to refer to me.

"She's a ghost," Kol answers and I sigh, not liking telling anyone what I am since it brings a lot of attention by being a corporeal ghost.

Alfred frowns at Kol. "A ghost?"

"It's a long story, but she's very strong," says Kol. "And she's off limits."

Alfred raises his hands in mock defense. "Cross my heart and hope to die if I make a move on her. Don't worry, I'll send the word that she's off limits."

"Good," says Kol. I can't help but frown at Alfred's words, for they meant that there seems to be a lot more vampires around. "How are things here?"

"Same as always," Alfred says with a shrug. "I'd be discreet, mate. There's a vampire hunter touring London. The last thing I need for my coven is to bring a vampire hunter to it."

"No worries," Kol says with his brows raised in amusement. "I'll just eat him."

"That is if you come across him, the man has a way to remain unseen," Alfred says and then glances at me. "You don't want to put the pretty lady in harm's way, do you?"

"I would appreciate it if you didn't call me 'pretty lady'," I say, to which Alfred shrugs, not paying much attention to my glare.

"Well, you certainly are a beauty," Alfred says, to which I scoff in irritation.

"How did you guys meet?" I ask, wanting to get the conversation away from anything tense or worse.

"He was a chap I came across with when we left the New World and came to the Old World," Kol says as he leans back on the couch, propping up his feet on the coffee table and I only sit on the coffee table, not wanting to get any closer to Alfred and the disturbing smirk that doesn't leave his face. "It was shortly after we became vampires and I was unraveling."

"He tore my throat out first," Alfred says with a chuckle, his eyes seeming to remember the memory of what he's talking about. "I was lucky that he thought it best to turn me and a few others along the way."

"It was after my siblings and I had gone to Italy and Finn was daggered the one and only time," Kol says and I feel a pang in my heart at the mention of Klaus.

"How's your sister?" Alfred asks with a smirk. "She still around?"

"Mystic Falls," Kol answers. "I don't recommend it this time of year."

"Pity," Alfred sighs and a knock is heard from the front door, causing us all to turn to it. "Finally." Alfred says as he stands up, going over to the door and I frown.

"I crossed paths with him this morning," Kol tells me and I give him an annoyed look. "I thought I'd introduce you."

I nod. "I'd appreciate a head's up next time."

"Deal," he says and Alfred returns with Andrew in tow; the bellhop is carrying a tray with a wine bottle on it.

"I thought we'd have a drink," Alfred says as he grabs Andrew's shoulder after the latter placed the tray on the coffee table next to me. I offer him a smile and he returns it with a small nod. "You know," he says with a smirk as his vampire features manifest, "for old time's sake."

I gasp and flinch when Alfred plunges his fangs on Andrew, who is trying to fight off Alfred. I turn to Kol to find amusement on his face while I slowly feel the life leaving the human's body. I raise a hand and throw Alfred off of Andrew, seeing the vampire crash into a wall with a groan. I am too late as I feel Andrew dying of blood loss. I shake my head and appear on the edge of the bed in the bedroom, wanting to get away from Kol's friend and the familiar feeling of death. I take a deep breath, willing away the cold hand of death as it sweeps over me; as if my life was being sucked out of me through my neck, which is what happened to the human downstairs.

"Gwen?" I open my eyes and see Kol standing in front of me, his eyes concerned while his face remains stoic.

"I'm fine," I say as he comes to sit next to me. "I just never get used to it."

"You do know that this comes by being with me, don't you?" he asks and I tilt my head at him, giving him an annoyed look. "Death comes easily with me, darling, and I don't mind it."

"I do know. I know what I was getting myself into with you, Kol," I say. "I've had enough practice by being with…Nik. I will never get used to feeling them go."

"He was only having some fun," Kol says and I scoff at his idea of having fun, even though I am quite used to it. "Gwen, I don't need to explain or justify myself to you. I'm a vampire and it's in our nature; I thought we made that clear. If I want to eat, I'll eat. If my mates want to eat, they will eat."

I keep my eyes on my hands that are on my lap while I exhale. "I don't mind, but I'd appreciate it if he didn't do it where you sleep while I remain awake. Excuse me if I have a problem with that and death."

He sighs heavily before clearing his throat. "Why don't we see Alfred out and spend the day in?" he asks me and I raise an eyebrow at him in surprise.

"You're asking?" I ask.

He shrugs with a smirk. "I'm giving you the benefit of letting me know of your opinion, but it'll make no difference."

"Thought so," I say. "But, if you want to spend time with him, you can. I don't mind, but I'd prefer it if you took it elsewhere."

"I came here with you," Kol says as he cups one side of my face, turning it to have me face him. "I came here to be with you and I am going to show you the world. I can spend time with old mates whenever I feel like it, which will not be happening with you around."

"You're rather smooth with words," I say and he smirks before pecking my lips with a gentle, chaste kiss. "Don't go and get an even bigger ego with my complementing."

"Too late," he says he stands up, taking my hand in his and pulling me along.

We go downstairs and my grip on his hand tightens a bit when I see the drained corpse of Andrew on the coffee table while Alfred drinks from the wine bottle that the human had brought with him. He drinks from it on the couch with bloody lips, to which I scrunch up my nose in disgust. I am learning that this vampire is a bit too cocky for my liking.

"I think it best to take your leave, Alfie," Kol says, to which Alfred frowns before setting the wine bottle down and approaching us. Kol motions to the dead corpse with his head. "And you are cleaning that before you go."

"Come on," Alfred says, smirking. "Can't the little lady stand a bit of blood? There was no need for roughhousing."

I glare at Alfred, taking a step closer to him. "I may not handle blood, but I can certainly handle you. I've spent my fair share of time with each Original, so don't mistake me for some fragile girl that can't handle herself."

"You can handle yourself?" Alfred challenges me, his face looking predatory but I hold my ground.

"I can turn you inside out, if you want," I say as I cross my arms over my chest, to which Kol and Alfred chuckle.

"I like her. She's feisty," Alfred says as he smirks at me. "I like that in a girl."

"Trust me, feisty is an understatement," Kol says as he places a hand on my shoulder. "Get to cleaning and leaving. I have a promise to keep."

"Come on, Kol," says Alfred. "Live a little. Don't tell me that being daggered has brainwashed you into being soft, mate."

Kol narrows his eyes at Alfred before saying, "I can show you what being daggered feels like, or worse."

Alfred gulps heavily, probably noticing that Kol is not in a gaming mood. "Well, another time."

"Sure," Kol says, dismissing Alfred.

"I'll send someone to get that," Alfred says as he motions to the corpse on the coffee table. "It was a pleasure, my dear," he tells me and I give him a small smile before he takes his leave.

"Well," I begin after Alfred has closed the door behind him and some minutes have passed, "that was interesting."

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><p><strong>Well, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and be on the look out for more. Leave your thoughts, opinions, questions, etc., in reviews, PM, Fave or Follows; you have no idea hos much they really help inspire me.<strong>

**Well, see ya later.**


	4. Chapter 3

**The next chapter is up! I just wanted to have it up for Thanksgiving for you guys who are celebrating! I hope you guys enjoy and I love your support, which I am thankful for since I wouldn't have gone forward with this story without you guys.**

**Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy the turkey!**

**And remember, nothing of the Vampire Diaries belongs to me, except for the obvious things.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

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><p>"Stop it!" I yell, trying to keep my voice from staying on my resolve while I try to take his hands off my body as they crawl all over me. "Stop it, it hurts!" I have tears that want to escape my eyes while my breathing becomes labored. "Kol, stop it!"<p>

"You lied," he growls as he continues his torture with his hands. "You should know better than to lie to me, darling."

"Fine, you win," I manage to say through breathless gasps of air. "Please, stop!"

"It's not about winning, my darling," he says as he manages to pin me down on the bed by sitting on my abdomen and holding my hands above my head. Our eyes lock, my face filled with dread while his is sporting a sadistic smirk. "It's about getting even."

"You do know I can just throw you across the room, right?" I warn him, to which he chuckles.

"I'm afraid that is the wrong answer," he says, his eyes reflecting the danger about him.

"Kol, stop," I say, my tone serious, but he only shakes his head before his hands go to my abdomen once more. I squeal as he tickles me while I try to get out of his hold. "Please, stop!" I try to push him off me, but my limbs are out of control with his tickling as I continue to laugh by force. "Stop!"

"And what are the magical words?" he asks, using his weight to keep my wriggling body in place as he continues with his torture.

"Let me go, or," I manage to breathe out through a laugh as I try to turn away from him, but his weight on my body makes it impossible, even though I can just disappear from under him but I won't since we're having some fun, "I will stake you."

"Well played," he says as he stops his torture and I manage to calm down before lying back on the bed, releasing a few chuckles as I come down from my high of laughing too much. "Let me repeat the question and no lying. Do you have any friends that are not my family?"

"If you're worried about friends that are male, then no," I say as he leans over me, supporting his weight with his elbows that are on either side of my head. "I only have one friend that is not your family and she is of the female gender."

"See how easy that was instead of giving me a snappy joke about having many friends that are male?" he asks and I roll my eyes at him, knowing that this is his possessive side mixed with jealousy, though he has nothing to worry about.

"What does it matter if I have friends that are male?" I ask him since he doesn't appear to like the idea of me having friends of the male gender. "You do know that I can have any type of friend and their gender doesn't matter."

"Have you seen yourself in a mirror?" he asks, his eyes narrowed at me while I frown at him, waiting for him to continue while I keep my arms above my head. "Any man or boy that says that they want to be your friend is a bloody liar and I am referring to those who can see you."

"Why is that?" I ask him, truly curious about this theory of his.

He smirks before placing his lips on my neck, to which I sigh as he places butterfly kisses on my skin. "They'd be fools," he says, his lips on my ear, "to only want you for a friend. I am no such fool and I won't share you."

"What if I did have a male friend?" I ask as he nips at my skin hard in warning before continuing to place light kisses while slowly lowers more of his weight on top of me, which I love, for it increases the warmth that spreads over my body. "What then?"

"I'd rip out his kidney or spine, whichever I'm in the mood for," he says as he continues to kiss my jaw and I feel the smirk on his lips while I keep myself from moaning by biting my lip, not wanting another embarrassing moment like when we first intentionally kissed.

"You do know that won't get you anywhere with me, right?" I say as he pulls away, his face hovering inches above mine. "You don't see me threatening your friends."

He narrows his eyes at me in confusion at my words. "You did."

I frown. "When?"

"Yesterday," he says. "You threatened to turn Alfie inside out."

"Oh," I say, remembering what he's talking about. "I did, didn't I?" He nods. "Still, it gives you no right to threaten any male friends I might or might not have in the future."

"As long as they keep their hands to themselves, I will not kill them," he says and I roll my eyes at him. "Also, I won't be responsible for their fate if they annoy me."

"You sound like a spoiled child," I say.

"I do not," he says indignantly. "I am only protecting what is mine."

"I am not an object, I thought I made that clear," I say with a scowl, making sure he knows I am serious about this. "And the same goes to you." He frowns at me. "I know you must have lots of old flames, so make sure they keep their hands to themselves or I'll rip out _their_ kidneys or spines."

He smirks while I blush at what I just said, but hold myself firm. "You have a very naughty mind, darling. I hope I get to see more of that."

"You are unbelievable," I say with a smile as I sit up and he sits up next to me.

"And then some," he says, to which I chuckle.

"You have an answer for everything, don't you?" I ask him, but I stop him before he answers "Don't answer that. Let's just get ready for today. I'll go call my friend like I was going to before you attacked me while you take a shower or whatever else you do to get ready."

"As the lady commands," he says and I roll my eyes at him before standing up and going downstairs.

I look over to the skyline and smile at the light of the sun in the morning, seeing the birds fly around and the sounds of the city waking up, to which I smile softly in amazement. My eyes fall on Kol's phone on the coffee table. I sigh as I sit on the edge of the sofa and pick up the phone, typing a familiar number before putting it to my ear. I only have to wait for two rings to sound before the call is picked up.

"_Hello?_" a velvety voice greets from the other end of the phone, causing me to grin.

"Hello, my dear friend, who I miss terribly," I say with a smile before hearing an excited squeal from the other end of the call.

"_Gwen?_" the voice from the other line asks excitedly. "_Is that really you?_"

"Of course, Gael," I answer with a smile on my lips. "Who else calls you with no intention to ask you for a favor?"

"_I have missed you so,_" Gael says. "_How have you been? How is Klaus? Where are you?_" I blush at the last question, glancing towards the stairs and the person I left up there.

"I've been well and I hope you are as well, but it is best I start at the beginning," I begin. "After we left Chicago, we arrived at Mystic Falls. It was a bit of a bloody entrance, but when has it ever been not bloody with Nik," I say with a nervous smile at the memory of Klaus, Rebekah and I causing trouble at the gym of the school in Mystic Falls.

"_I can imagine,_" says Gael.

I sigh. "Yeah, and then we got settled, which was a rude affair with rude hosts. Not to mention that Nik had actually ditched us without much warning or even a damn call."

"_Why did Klaus leave you guys?_" asks Gael, a frown evident in her tone of voice.

"Well, a lot of things unraveled when he left," I say. "One of them was that he did some things in his past that no one knew about, not even I knew about them."

"_What things?_" Gael asks. Even though she's a kind girl, she tends to be bold and lacks respect for privacy in her boldness, not that she does it intentionally.

"He is actually the person who killed his mother."

"_What?_" Gael asks in disbelief.

"Yeah, he apparently killed her in a fit of werewolf rage," I say. "Not to mention that it was heightened by being a vampire."

"_Well, I have no words,_" Gael says and I sigh, knowing that Gael didn't approve with what Klaus did but is keeping it to herself since Klaus is still my best friend.

"Yeah, and we also had an encounter with his dad," says Gwen.

"_Oh dear, is everyone all right?_" Gael asks, to which Gwen smiles, knowing that Gael will worry for others, even when she doesn't know them. "_I heard he's _The Hunter_; the vampire that hunts vampires._"

"Yes, it was a quick confrontation if you ask me."

"_I thought that would have been bloodier,_" Gael says.

"I thought so too, but I'm glad it's behind us," I say as I lean back on the couch.

"_What else went on?_" asks Gael.

I sigh, not wanting to reveal much information that could put her in danger. "His siblings are awake; finally."

"_Really?_" asks Gael.

"Yeah," I answer as I hear shuffling upstairs, knowing that Kol must be getting ready for the day.

"And his mother tried to kill her children, including me; she clearly failed."

"_Wasn't she dead? She didn't hurt you, did she?_" Gaels asks and I smile at her protective nature. "_If she did, I'll make sure she burns for the rest of eternity._"

"Nothing I couldn't handle."

"_She's dead now, right?_" she asks and I frown a bit at her hard tone, which she has never used, but I shrug it off.

"She is now," I say before saying, "I hope."

"_You hope?_"

"She's a witch; they don't really stay or like to stay dead with business left unfinished. I really hope she's rotting in some hell or something."

"_Let's hope so,_" says Gael. "_What happened next?_"

I grin as a blush appears on my cheeks when I hear footsteps descending the stairs. "Well, I met Nik's brother."

"_His brother?_" Gael asks, probably narrowing her eyes about now in suspicion.

"Well, he has two living brothers," I say as Kol reaches the bottom of the stairs. "I met both, but it's different. You've probably heard of Elijah and the other one is Kol."

"_Then, what's different?_" she asks as I watch Kol putting on his coat and grabbing his wallet and whatever else he'll need for our outing today. I have no idea how Gael might react to me being with Kol and it's making me extremely nervous. "_It's not like you're dating one, are you?_"

"Well, dating is not exactly a word he'd use," I say as Kol turns to me with a smirk.

I hear Gael gasp, probably having figured it all out. "_You're dating one of Klaus' brothers?_" I don't need to answer since she knows. "_It can't be Elijah; I've heard he's real formal and not your type, which leaves this Kol._"

"It's not Elijah and we're not dating," I say, deviating from answering her question as Kol comes to sit down next to me, grinning like the Cheshire cat. "We're together."

"_As in dating?_" she asks and I sigh.

"I do detest the words this century uses to refer to people courting," Kol says, releasing a sigh with a shake of his head. "It lacks romance."

"_Who's that?_" Gael asks and I open my mouth to answer, but Kol snatches the phone from my hand.

"Kol Mikaelson, Klaus's younger and more dashing brother," Kol answers as he gets up from the sofa and I follow him, trying to snatch the phone back.

"Give it back, Kol," I say, trying to reach for the phone but he holds me back while wearing a wide and playful grin. I can use my powers but I am finding I have no immediate need for them, even though I'd like to kick Kol where it hurts most. "Now, Kol."

"It is nice to meet you, Gael, is it?" he asks as he winks at me and I glare at him, giving up trying to get the phone back. "Yes, I am in a relationship with Gwen. We are currently on our way to spend the day touring London." He pauses and chuckles at something that Gael must've said. "We could get you a souvenir. I'd love to meet Gwen's best friend, who happens to be a very charming witch. And very talented, I presume." I roll my eyes at him as he continues to talk with Gael. "I give you my word that no harm will come to her. I'm more worried about what a witch would do to me than my brother's daggers." He chuckles at something else Gael must've said. "Well, it was a pleasure meeting you and I hope we'll meet in person soon." He pauses. "I'll leave you with Gwen." He offers me his phone with a smirk, to which I glare at him before snatching it from his hand and putting it to my ear.

"Sorry about that," I say as I continue to glare at Kol's smirk. "He can be rather childish." He rolls his eyes at this.

"_He seems nice,_" I hear Gael say and I refrain from telling her he can be just like Klaus, but I keep it down with a smile. "_For an Original, he does have manners._"

"Yeah, but, like any other Original, he can be wild," I say and Kol on wiggles his brows at me, "and bloodthirsty."

"_Like any other vampire,_" she says and I chuckle at her nature of always liking others, not passing judgment without knowing the person; something that other witches do not do. "_I'd like to meet him. I hope to see you soon too, Gwen._"

I smile. "I promise you will and we'll bring a souvenir."

"_Great!_" she squeals, probably one of her episodes of excitement. "_Call whenever you can. I want to know the good stuff._"

"Yeah, I'll think about it," I say. "Miss you."

"_Miss you, have fun,_" she says before hanging up and I sigh before giving the phone to Kol.

He frowns at me. "Is she always that happy?"

"It's her thing," I say, to which his brows furrow further. "You have to know that many conditions have developed in this century. Gael is one of those people. She has a condition that she got after an incident that caused her mother's death. She hasn't been the same since then, or so she says. I don't treat her any different because of her supposed disability, which is not."

"I understand," he says with a nod. "She didn't seem any different than other people. I rather like her enthusiasm. She even threatened she'd be worse than a dagger to the heart."

I chuckle at this. "Yeah, she can be quite protective, especially since she's the only witch that likes me and doesn't think I'm a freak of nature."

"You aren't," he says as he places a hand on my cheek, stroking it with our eyes locked. "You are an exquisite beauty." He leans in and places a rather soft chaste kiss on my lips, gentle and purely euphoric. He pulls away and I keep my eyes closed as I sigh before opening them to find him with the smallest of smiles on his face. "We should go. I'm getting hungry."

I nod. "I hope it is human food you're hungry for."

"More or less," he says as he offers me his arm, which I take by looping my hand around it before we exit the duplex apartment we're staying in.

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><p>Not once did my smile leave my mouth as I stared at practically everything around me in pure amazement. I even laughed in excitement when I saw the famous red bus that one usually saw in movies where the setting is in London. I didn't even care that the sun was gone the minute we left the hotel and replaced by gray clouds, but no rain in tow, which was a win. I actually enjoy the grim and cozy atmosphere of this place. It reminds me of earlier times when I would hide under the covers and become lazy on days like this, but not today.<p>

I was staring at everything with wide and curious eyes, looking like a child with a sweet tooth in a candy store, which I was. I do know I kept a firm grip on Kol's hand, fearing I'd get lost in the huge crowds as we walked on the streets. Kol didn't seem to be embarrassed or freaked out by my ecstatic emotions. He only grinned or smirked and made a pun here and there, but we mostly enjoyed the sights.

I had to practically beg Kol to walk the London Bridge over the River Thames instead of driving since he disliked the idea of having to walk everywhere we are to go, but a promise for a dinner, kiss to the cheek and sad eyes won him over to my favor. He grumbled about annoying ghosts and attractive women always taking advantage over him, which got him no sympathy from me. It was fun to make fun of his annoyed face with his tight lips showing it, which was my entertainment through the whole way across the bridge. Of course, I had to wait for him to get a 'snack' when we got off the bridge before continuing with our sightseeing.

Kol didn't have much to say about London, only that it was one of the cities he stayed in for a short period of time. And I could sum it up to him and his siblings having to hide in less conspicuous places where Mikael wouldn't have looked; well, unless his attention was drawn, which happened a lot with Kol's adventures of adjusting to the life of a vampire. His little time in London only consisted of blood and turning others into vampires, so it wasn't very entertaining for me to hear it.

He was reluctant, but I convinced him to go the National Gallery, which was not an easy task since he wanted to do something more fun and active. I ended up having to owe him something in return, which is enough to have me worried, but it passed as we entered the gallery. Kol scowled and pouted all the way, never ceasing a moment to say how bored he was and that if he wanted to see art, he'd go to Klaus and watch him paint a masterpiece right before his eyes. This I ignored, for it only tightened my chest a bit but I shook it off.

I was engrossed by the history that each painting possessed. Like Klaus has told me time and time again, I find that paintings have their own way of sharing the history of a place without the need for pages filled with words, not that I dislike books. I practically fell in love with the gallery, especially with the kind hosting and whatnot. I did become saddened that I couldn't exactly take pictures of the place with me in them since I don't appear in pictures. The subject seemed to have left Kol uncomfortable when I told him I couldn't appear on the picture he offered to take, finding that he disliked dampening my mood. I merely shrugged it off and smiled at him before continuing on.

The painting that had caught my eye was the one called 'The Fighting Temeriare', catching my attention with the beauty of the sunset as it clashed with the coming night, its colors reflected beautifully on the river. It looked so much like fire in the water, announcing the return of the Temeriare to be laid to rest. But the burning sky reflected in the water was what had me so mesmerized. The contrasting elements of fire and water met, bringing something beautiful through their meeting. Kol had actually offered to buy it for me, but I hastily declined and told him it is supposed to be there, apart from the fact that I'd have no place for it.

After the National Gallery, we found a little coffeehouse, which is where we are now since Kol was craving a snack; thankful that it was for human food and not a human. We are sitting on one of the table in front of the coffeehouse as the sun begins to set; the day having gone by faster than I thought. Kol ordered some coffee and a little dessert while I just sat there, watching him eat and drink.

"Having fun?" Kol asks me, to which I nod with a smile on my lips and he grins before taking a sip from his cup of coffee and I learn he likes it black.

"Yeah," I say. "You?"

"I'd prefer a museum over some gallery," he says and I roll my eyes at him.

"You could've said and we would have gone there," I say with a frown since he never said he'd like to go to the museum. "Why didn't you say anything?"

He shrugs and takes a bite from his sweet dessert. "I didn't mind going to the gallery."

"Your pout during it the whole way said otherwise," I say, truly curious as to why he didn't say anything. "If you want to do something different, you have to tell and we can make a compromise. I don't want us to dictate each other as we wish nor am I so fragile I can't take some rejection. Why didn't you say anything?"

He sighs, shuffling a bit on his seat. "I was enjoying myself."

I frown. "How were you enjoying yourself? You were complaining."

"I was, darling," he says with certainty but I don't believe it.

"You weren't," I say. "During your complaining, what were you enjoying?"

"You," he says and my words are caught in my throat, my argument forgotten as I furrow my brows. He clears his throat as he shifts on his chair uncomfortably. "I was enjoying watching you enjoy yourself with the simplest of things. I honestly was. I enjoyed the twinkle in your eyes when you saw something from afar that caught your eye or the squeal when you saw something up close that excited you. You're not what I'm used to, but I do so enjoy you."

"Why do you say things like that?" I ask him as a smile slowly grows on my lips while a blush taints my cheeks. He frowns at me in confusion as he leans on the table. "I can't rival those words you just said."

He grins. "It comes with being my handsome self."

I roll my eyes at him before saying, "I'm sorry if I looked like some crazy girl fanning over everything, even if you did enjoy that."

"Oh, I did," he says with a smirk. "Especially when you said you find accents sexy."

"Of course you'd remember that," I say while he wiggles his eyebrows at me, to which I chuckle while shaking my head at him. "What do you want to do next?" He opens his mouth and I cut him off. "Don't say that you'd like to do anything I want; I'm not taking that for an answer."

He sighs, his eyes playfully glaring at me while I smirk at him. "Well, we can go to the park or have dinner tonight, which you promised we'd have."

"Great, we'll do just that," I say with a smile.

"Well, I'm done," he says as he stands up, leaving some money on the table before walking over to me, offering me his hand like he keeps doing and I take it with a smile before standing up next to him.

"Kol Mikaelson?" Kol and I frown at the feminine voice with a strong British accent.

Both of us turn to look behind him and find a red-brown haired woman with dark brown eyes. Her hair is curly, reaching to her lower back. She has a slender figure, small chest and narrow hips. She appears to be a few inches taller than me. She is currently wearing a black, sleeveless dress that reaches above her knees. The dress has a V-neckline that is rather deep, showing a lot of cleavage. She has black heeled boots and a black coat to go with her outfit. She had a fair amount of make-up on, her lips red like her nails. She has some bracelets with some stones on it, which means it must be her daylight amulet to keep her from bursting into flames in pure daylight.

"I didn't believe Alfie until now," the woman says as she seductively smirks at Kol while eyeing him up and down, which makes my blood boil and wanting to snap at her for ogling him.

"I do remember your face," Kol says as he smirks at her while managing to frown at the same time. "Layla, is it? It's been a while. How long has it been?"

"It's been a few centuries," she says as she approaches Kol, too close for my comfort as she places a hand on his cheek and I only want to burn it for touching him like that. "You were quite the wild thing."

"I've heard," Kol says as he slowly pulls away from her to stand behind me, placing his hands on my shoulders. "This is my fiery Gwen Pierson. I assume Alfie told you about her."

"Hello," I greet her with a small smile.

I try not to grin too wide at the angry face on Layla, which she quickly hides with a wide and fake smile directed at me. "The ghost, right?" I can see the glare she's hiding behind her smile.

I smile and nod at her. "That's me."

"Yes, so you're with a ghost now?" Layla asks, her eyes going to Kol while I glare at her and Kol rubs my arms, which calms me down. "How do you make it work? I doubt there's much to work with."

"You'd be surprised," Kol says and stands next to me with an arm around my waist. "She's my type."

"I can't deny that she smells exquisite," she says, her feature changing to her vampiric features for a quick second. "Have you had a taste?"

"Yes and she's quite delectable," Kol says and I remain quiet by his side, knowing that he's somehow protecting me. "Her blood is off limits, I thought I made Alfie aware of that."

"Oh, well," Layla says, smirk still in place and probably having heard Kol's threat. "I would've loved to find out." Kol hums and I notice his smirk actually appears threatening with his lips tight in annoyance. "Also, Alfie sent me to give you this." She takes an envelope from her coat's pocket, handing it to Kol. "I do so hope you join us." She looks to me with predatory eyes. "Both of you."

"I'll think about it," Kol says without even giving a second glance to the envelope in his hand.

"Please, do," says Layla. "Call me if you get bored."

I glare at her in shock at her rudeness. "Go to a strip club, it's cheaper." I close my mouth in surprise at what I just said, causing Kol to look at me with wide eyes in amusement and Layla to appear in shocked surprise. "I'm not sorry, but I'm sorry I used those words."

Kol tries to suppress a chuckle, but not the wide smirk directed at Layla while I stand there in pure embarrassment. "Good day," Layla says, her eyes hostile while narrowed on me. "I hope you can make it to the party." Her tone and smirk making it sound like a challenge. "That is, if you dare to come."

"We'll see you around, Layla," Kol says, his toothy grin wide for all to see.

"Bye," I whisper, not really even wanting to say anything. Kol and I wait for Layla to disappear around a corner. I sigh in relief when I no longer see her, not really knowing what had come over when I told her to go to a strip club. "Why do I keep threatening vampires?"

Lips collide against mine, to which I sigh while grinning against Kol's lips, knowing that this kiss is fueled by my snapping at Layla and somehow aroused him. Our lips move in a choreographed dance, meeting at the right places. He pulls me against him by his arms around my waist while I keep my hands against his chest.

He pulls away and I can't help the chuckle that escapes me. "Really?"

"You looked rather enticing, my darling," he says, smirk still in place. "I'm thankful you're a ghost and not easy to dispose of."

"Why?"

"That sharp tongue of yours can get you killed in less than five minutes in the presence of a vampire."

"I can handle myself," I say with a shrug. "The closest I've come to death is when your mother threatened to kill me and that went down the drain."

"Should I feel insulted that my threats mean nothing to you?" he asks with a playful frown.

I shrug. "You weren't aiming for my heart."

"I'll have to rectify that," he says, smirk in place and I shake my head at him.

"About the party-"

"We'll talk about that after dinner," he says, his face telling me there's no room for argument on this topic, so I nod in agreement. "Or not at all." He takes my hand in his before we make our way down a street, probably towards our hotel.

"Why don't we go?" I ask.

"It's a party that will be filled with vampires and humans," he explains. "The humans will most likely be dinner or whatever form of entertainment they are subjected to perform."

"You've been to these parties?" I ask with a brow raised in question.

He smirks. "I practically invented them."

"You still haven't answered why we shouldn't go."

"You feel death and death is the theme of these parties, darling," he says, but I frown at him since I don't really understand why he doesn't want to go to a party where there will be blood for him to drink to his heart's content. "You won't like it."

"I'll go," I say. "I don't mind going and I can handle myself. I would like to know more about vampire parties."

"We shouldn't."

"Why?"

"Your blood isn't the best trend in a party like that."

"I can protect myself and you'll make sure I'm safe, won't you?"

He turns to me, ceasing his walking and so do I as we go to stand in an alley. "I'd rip the heart out of anyone who dares to lay a hand on you, but I won't place you in a place where everyone will try to take a bite out of you."

"They can't exactly kill me," I argue. "Besides, we should do things you also want to do. You tell me the truth, do you want to go? Don't lie."

He sighs heavily, releasing my hand to run it through his growing hair and I can tell that he's hiding something. "Maybe I want to go."

"Then we'll go," I say firmly, closing the argument.

"I don't want to take you," he says, to which I frown, taken aback by this. "I don't want to risk you getting hurt."

"I'll be fine, Kol," I say and he sighs when I say his name. I place my hands on either side of his neck, leaning closer until our noses are almost touching. "We can have fun."

He scoffs. "I know I'll have fun. Why do _you_ want to go?"

"A couple of reasons."

"Start naming them and I'll _think_ about taking you with me," he says, to which I sigh at his soft smirk.

"I want us doing something you want to do and have fun; a wild version of fun we can do together," I begin. "I also want to see what a vampire party is like, I'm truly curious." I take a deep breath, knowing that he'll say something about my last reason as I drop my hands from his neck. "Also, I didn't like that slut of a vampire and I know she was trying to intimidate me." Still, I want to prove that I can handle myself.

"And the truth shall set you free," Kol says while chuckling. "You really felt threatened by Layla?"

"She was having eye sex with you like every one of those waitresses did back at the diners we ate after we left Mystic Falls the first time. It was frustrating! So excuse me if I want to prove to that slut and Alfred that I am not to be messed with!" I sigh heavily after my rant, which Kol listened to without interrupting and with an amused and impressed look on his face. "What?"

"You're a very jealous thing, aren't you?" he asks and I groan in annoyance at what he's focused on. "I actually saw a bit of Klaus in you." I sigh, feeling the same pang I always feel whenever Klaus is mentioned. "Do you really want to go?"

"Do you?" I counter. "Is it wrong to want to do things with my significant other?"

He chuckles before sighing. "Well, it's settled then."

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><p><strong>I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! I also want to say that I hope you guys enjoy Thanksgiving and spend it in nothing but happiness. Love you guys and Happy Thanksgiving once more!<strong>

**See ya later!**


	5. Chapter 4

**And the next chapter! Here we go with yet another chapter and I am happy and ecstatic with the reviews and support you guys give, I greately appreciate it. I hope I continue to get your support and I love it. I hope you continue to enjoy my work!**

**Remember, nothing about the Vampire Diaries belongs to me. Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

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><p>"So…you traveled with witches a lot?" I ask Kol from where I sit on the edge of the coffee table, watching him dine on a blonde bellhop that had brought up breakfast for Kol just a few minutes ago. I couldn't help but be excited and aroused by how he holds the woman to his front while drinking blood from her neck. "Where?"<p>

He detaches his mouth from the blonde's neck with a satisfied grin, wiping away the trail of blood from the corner of his lip and placing it in his mouth, not wasting a single drop. "The places varied," he says as he bit into his wrist, forcing it down the blonde's throat to heal her before taking it away. For this I am thankful since I really dislike the coldness that a death brings to my body. "I rather enjoyed the company of witches over the company of vampires."

I frown at this. "You seem to like being a vampire, so why be around witches?"

"**You will remember nothing, darling,**" he says to the blonde woman, compelling her. "**You came up here to deliver food, found two very attractive guests and went on your merry way.**" The blonde nods mindlessly and leaves our place, closing the door behind her as Kol takes his breakfast from the dining table and begins eating it on the sofa, which is a sandwich. "Don't get me wrong, my darling, I enjoy being a vampire. But that doesn't mean that I liked being a witch any less."

"You practiced magic before being turned?" I ask with wide eyes in surprise, to which he nods.

"I was the first of my siblings to tap into my magic," he says, glaring at nothing in particular at whatever memory he was remembering. "I was a prodigy with magic. I did my fair share of spells and enjoyed the power, the rush."

"I can assume you were as smug then as you are now," I say with a grin that he returns with a smirk. "Can you tell me more about being a witch?"

He grins bitterly after finishing his breakfast. "Even if you don't practice magic for long, you're still connected to the earth and everything it has to offer. You can still feel it leaving you when you're turned into a vampire. It left a chill or lack of anything when I was turned. I no longer felt the earth or the life of everything around me." He sighs heavily. "It was like having something ripped from within you and nothing can ever replace it. I will never forget that feeling."

"That's tragic," I say, not wanting to say something that might sound like me offering pity, which I loath to receive and to give. "Why hang around witches?"

"They offered a bit of comfort," he says, to which I frown. "They're the closest I'll ever get to feeling magic running through my body or feeling a spell at my fingertips. I respect their power because I used it and I never got to appreciate its full potential. So I do it through them."

"What about being a vampire?"

"I enjoy it," he says with a wide smirk. "Unlike witchcraft, I have power at my beck and call. Magic requires too much of your life and possesses restraints, but being a vampire…" he says before appearing right next to me on the coffee table in a blur, "the only restraints I have are my own."

"You like being a vampire more than being witch?" I ask.

"Obviously," he says as if it's that obvious, to which I give him an annoyed look. "Not to trash talk, but magic has too many restraints and rules, dictated by the spirit of older and dead witches."

"And Kol Mikaelson is not one to follow rules," I say as he smirks at me. "Or am I wrong?"

"No," he says. "You're right. I follow my own set of rules, which ends up breaking another's."

"Coincidentally or conveniently?" I ask with a grin while he chuckles.

"A bit of both," he says and I can't help but be mesmerized by his eyes while sitting right next to him. My chest is being overwhelmed by a strong feeling as I smile at a Kol. "What was it like?"

I frown. "What?"

"Turning into a ghost."

I sigh deeply, a lump growing in my throat before turning my head to look at my fidgeting hands on my lap. "It was dark at first," I begin as I remember everything clearly as if it only happened a second ago. "Everything was numb and I could hear everything around me, but it was muffled. It was cold. Not a cold because the weather was cold, it was more like a cold that just suffocates you." I manage to push down the lump in my throat, fighting to remain composed. "I'm not gonna sugarcoat it, I really just wanted to kill myself all over again. I woke up, but it still felt cold; everything did." I smile a bit before placing a hand on Kol's, meeting his eyes. "Except you."

He frowns. "What do you mean?"

"Normally, I don't feel anything. The skin of another is not there, even when I touch them. I cannot feel any warmth. Everything is cold or nothing at all," I say, shrugging my shoulders. I look at Kol with a small smile. "You're not cold when I touch you. You're warm." I squeeze his hand with mine, taking in his warmth. "I don't even feel the sun's warmth. I miss it and you have that and I don't know why or how."

"Maybe because-"

"Don't be vain, Kol," I say with a scolding look directed at him as I cut him off, to which he smirks.

"My Darling Lass," he begins as he places a hand on my cheek, his face serious while stroking my cheek, "I'm not so vain to ruin the moment. And about the warmth, I wish I knew something about it."

"I'm not looking to you for an answer, Kol," I say with a small grin. "I'm just glad I have it. I don't need to know why or how, just that I can feel something again; something I used to feel and it's quite foreign to me."

"You're welcome, my darling," he says with a small, genuine smile. I smile at him before he leans forward, catching my lips in a soft and gentle kiss, sinking into it as warmth slowly takes over my body. I sigh into his lips as he pulls away, leaning his forehead against mine and a smirk grows on his lips. "We should get ready for the party."

I frown at this. Kol and I haven't talked about the party since we argued about going two days ago and he wants to get ready now, hours before the party. "It's early. What are we getting ready for, a wedding?"

He chuckles, pulling away from leaning on my forehead but keeping his hand on my cheek. "You're lucky I like you and that sharp tongue of yours. And we need to do some shopping. Well, on my part. I really dislike the fact that you don't require to shop for clothes."

I chuckle, knowing he would've just loved to have picked out everything for me, including my underwear. "Oh, your life is just miserable," I say while pouting, my sarcasm thick in my voice as I stand up and make my way to the door. "You can't buy me clothes or, more specifically, underwear."

He glares at me playfully as he follows me while putting on his jacket and grabbing his phone and wallet. "You're going to pay for that."

"I'm shaking in my boots," I say, still receiving a playful glare as we exit the apartment.

"You have a death wish, don't you?" I chuckle at this.

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><p>I twirl once while standing in front of the mirror in the bedroom, admiring the style my clothes decided to take, which is quite acceptable by me. I might even say that Rebekah would've approved, given the fact that she dislikes my limited wardrobe. It's a constant factor of our small bickering, which never escalates, but I can still see her dislike of my clothes. I can probably assume that she wishes she could dress me up to her heart's content, but I am thankful I don't need to go through the torture of being a doll. Remembering Rebekah, I have to remember to call her when I can since I haven't talked to her since we left Mystic Falls and she must be in a rather sour mood over what Klaus did to her.<p>

My clothes currently consist of my regular light gray leggings that are not cropped with my cream, cardy ugg boots that ever change. Replacing my white tank top and cream cardigan is a cream dress that reaches above my knees of soft velveteen fabric with its crisscross cutout back. It's complete with three-quarter sleeves and a round neckline. The only accessory on me is my necklace that will always look beautiful, which is the only item that Rebekah has shown the less distaste. My fair hair is loos and in soft waves, cascading down until reaching my armpits. I smile at my appearance, also loving how I don't need to be making sure I'm visible all night since supernatural beings can see me, even when I'm not making myself visible.

"And you say I'm vain," I hear Kol say and turn to find him coming out of the bathroom fully dressed.

He is wearing a dark long-sleeved shirt that is buttoned-up that he will probably compliment with a stylish jacket. He is wearing dark pants and shoes, noticing how his hair is with less gel, but still there, which is probably him growing it out. We had gone on a fairly big shopping spree since we ended up having enough time and he was rather quick with picking things out. I took notice that Kol shares a similar fashion sense to the rest of his family, dressing in a very high class manner—not like Elijah—but with a casual edge that is similar to Klaus's attire.

"I know I'm handsome, but there's no need to drool, darling," he says with a cheeky smile that I roll my eyes at as he approaches me. "You're sure you want to go?" His serious now as he takes my hand in his.

I nod. "Yes. I really want to sedate this wild craving and be done with it. Also, I still have a problem with that…_thing_ you actually had a thing with."

"She was enjoyable when I first met her, I admit, but there's no need to keep rubbing in my face how much of a whore she is, which does no good in my past taste in women," he says, to which I nod. "I have a few rules for tonight."

I raise an eyebrow at him in surprise while grinning. "Kol Mikaelson is laying out rules? I thought you were allergic to them."

"Gwen," he says as he tightens his grip on my hand, his face not amused and I turn serious. I notice he used my name, which I am noticing he uses when he's serious or angry. "You don't leave my sight." I nod while he keeps a firm grip on my hand. "You stay as near to me as possible and you scream bloody murder if something goes wrong."

"Deal," I say and he sighs, appearing to be satisfied with my answer. "Are you fine with it?"

"No," he says and I wait for him to continue. "I don't want to see you get hurt or anything remotely close to it."

"I can't promise you I won't get hurt because I don't know and I won't make a promise I don't think I can keep," I say I cup his neck between my hands, looking directly at his eyes. "But I promise to not break your rules."

"Deal," he sighs before grinning. "Pray that tonight won't end like the last party we went to."

"This is it?" I ask as Kol helps out of the limousine by my hand while I looked at the building that looks more like a club than anything else.

I honestly thought it would've been different. It's a normal pub with a bouncer at the door, probably a vampire as a line of people waits outside to enter. I don't know how this works. Are they human or vampires or both? I am actually a bit nervous about how this whole place works, but I won't lose my nerve. I think I can deal with a single night full of vampires and not be left on my own since Klaus always made sure I was perfectly safe, which was annoying most of the time.

"What were you expecting?" he asks me with an amused tone as he closes the car of the limousine behind me and it leaves, Angus having driven us once more.

I shrug. "I don't know. I thought it'd be a bit more sophisticated or in a mansion or something else."

"I have to agree with you," Kol says as he keeps a grip on my hand while approaching the entrance of the brick building with the invitation in the other hand. "It's not to my taste."

"Good evening," the blond-haired bouncer greets us and Kol silently hands him the invitation, to which the bouncer's eyes widen in surprise before looking at Kol nervously. "Mister Alfred is waiting for you, Mister Mikaelson."

"Thank you, mate," Kol says with a smirk pulling me with him as the bouncer opens the door for us and we enter to loud music.

Like any club I have ever known of, it's not fully lit; only having a few dimmed lights here and there. On a corner there is a bar and stools around its counter with the bartenders on the other side, tending to the customer's needs. There are sofas and high tables all around the place, carefully placed. There is also an area where a DJ is, taking care of the music and a dance floor with many people dancing, but it surprises me how big the dance floor is. The whole place is big, deceiving people with how smaller the entrance looks.

The moment Kol and I had entered the building, heads turned to us. Unlike the last party that we went to, these people didn't look at us with flirty or lusty looks; they were looking at me and I can tell that their eyes reflected their hunger, which made them vampires. I saw some eyeing Kol warily, their eyes going from me to Kol and so on, probably trying to make sense of me and Kol. I sigh, deciding to ignore the overwhelming feeling of hunger from all of them and the amount of eyes on me.

What catches my attention is that the people coming inside behind us are being compelled by the bouncer, meaning that the vampire must be separated by their invitation or something of the sort. I don't even want to know what the humans are meant to forget from this night. This strategy must work or the vampires wouldn't continue doing so.

"The music isn't too bad," Kol says with a frown as I scrunch up my nose at the music, which is a type that doesn't require a partner and you only need to fist bump the air above you while bouncing on your feet. There is also some grinding against one another, to which I keep my nose scrunched up at.

I give Kol a look. "Are you serious?"

"It's not good," he says with a shrug of his shoulders, "but it's bearable. It's not something I like, but bearable."

"For future reference," I begin, "don't ask me to dance to this."

"Wouldn't even dream about it," he says, to which I nod in satisfaction as Alfred appears in front of us, smirk in place.

"You made it," Alfred says as he shakes Kol's hand and places a kiss on my cheek, which causes my skin to crawl uncomfortably. Kol tightens my hand in his and I only squeeze back to reassure him I'm fine. "I had my doubts."

"If it weren't for Gwen, we wouldn't have come," Kol says, earning a composed surprised look from Alfred. "Trust me, underestimating her will only get you thrown about the room."

"Is everyone here a vampire?" I ask as I look around, not able to make out a vampire from a human with so many people in this place and wondering if I have to keep myself visible.

"Not exactly," Alfred says as he motions to the place, to which I sigh in annoyance since it meant that I have to continue to make sure I'm not visible; it's an ability that has gotten easier to do with time but it still wears me down a bit. "Most are vampires, but the humans are always compelled before entering to make sure that what happens in here will stay here. We know whose food by having them marked in the entrance."

"No one's drinking from a human," Kol says while surveying the place.

"We do that on the second floor," says Alfred. "You can join if you want."

"I'll think about it," Kol answers and Alfred nods.

"Well, come to me if you need anything," Alfred tells Kol before turning to me. "You look exquisite tonight, dear Gwen." I practically flinch at the nickname, remembering that Kol used it with spite after we first met and for some while.

"Um, s-sure," I stutter a bit and they both notice before Alfred nods and turns to leave.

"Darling?" Kol asks as he frowns at me and I give him a forced smile.

"I'm fine," I say and he raises a knowing brow at me. "I just don't like him, that's all."

"Gwen?" he pushes, but I'm not going to let him get it out of me right now.

"Not now," I say. "Let's not ruin the night."

"All right," Kol says and he glances to the side, smirking. "Would you care to join me in a game of billiards?"

I frown and look to the side, noticing there is a vacant pool table. "Are you sure?" He frowns at me. "The last time we played you ended up getting daggered."

"I still think it was you being a sore loser," he says as he drags me over to the table while I playfully glare at him.

"I didn't, it was Alaric," I argue, wondering if I said the vampire hunter's name right.

"All I hear are excuses," he says as he hands me a cue stick before prepping up the table for us to play. He finishes getting the table ready before grabbing a cue stick himself. "Ladies first."

"Will you look at that," I say as I set the cue ball in place for me to break the neatly-shaped triangle composed of the other pool balls. "He still has manners."

"Of course," he says as he smirks at me. "Well, most of the time."

I hum as I bend over the edge of the table, getting ready to hit the cue ball with; music and the many conversations taking place at the same time blaring in my ears. I release a sigh when I practically feel Kol's eyes on me; probably roaming them all over my body and I find I don't mind at all. I clear my throat before hitting the cue ball and breaking up the triangle, managing to score a striped ball, to which I grin at in triumph at Kol.

"Lucky start," he says and I roll my eyes at him before getting ready to hit another stripped ball with the cue ball. I bend over the table again, ready to hit the cue ball. I see movement out of the corner of my eye and Kol is bending his body over mine, placing his hands over mine on the cue stick. "You're too tense, darling."

"Am I?" I ask, knowing that a blush is on my cheek from having him so close, his mouth on my temple.

"Relax," he whispers and I know he's smirking. "Deep breath and…release." We both hit the cue ball, missing one of my own before we both straighten up, Kol still behind me.

"It's your turn," I say, loving how comfortable I am leaning against his chest. He moves my hair from my neck, gracing his teeth over my skin before cold air meets my skin. I frown and find him bending over the edge of the table, looking very cocky before my frown turns into a half-hearted glare. "You're a tease and a cheater."

"I only play by my own rules, darling," he says after scoring one of his pool balls before smirking over at me. "I thought you already knew that."

"I am so going to get even," I tell him, to which he shrugs without a glare.

"Go ahead, but I doubt you'll succeed," he says, confident in himself as he prepares to hit the cue ball and score again.

I smirk at an idea in my head and wait until he's about to shoot. "I'm taking my dress off." He falters in his shot, hitting the cue ball too hard in his surprise, thus missing the shot. He looks up to me with a deep frown while I grin at him. "Who's cocky now?"

He narrows his eyes at me. "You are a sneaky little minx."

"That's what you get for cheating."

"Nice move."

"Thank you," I say with a grin as he approaches me when the music changes to an upbeat tune that I like.

"Would you care to dance?" he asks as takes my hand to his lips, placing a chaste kiss on my knuckles.

"I would be honored," I say with a grin, leaving the cue sticks on the pool table before he leads us over to the dance floor.

He twirls me as we arrive at the dance floor, taking me back in his arms as we begin to dance in upbeat steps. He has one of my hands in his and the other around my waist while I have my other hand on his shoulder. I follow his lead, keeping up with his steps as he continues to twirl me. He dips me when I come back from the twirl, to which I giggle when we're upright. I blush when I notice that we've been given room, which Kol notices as he smirks at me. He pushes me away but keeping a hold on my hand before bringing me back, grabbing my waist to lift me up for a second before dipping me once more as the song ends. I grin up at Kol as he softly pants before bringing us upright, people start clapping at us before they resume dancing to another song. Kol leads us out of the dance floor and over to empty stools at the bar.

"Why on earth did you ask me for dance lessons?" I ask him as he flags down the bartender, ordering a drink while I refuse the offer.

"I like dancing with you," he says as if it was something simple to answer while I shake my head at him with an amused smile.

"You already know how to dance," I argue and he shrugs his shoulders as the bartender hands him his drink in a glass.

"You promised me dance lessons," he explains, "and I would be a fool to turn them down. Is it so wrong to want to dance with you?"

"Your dancing skills might actually rival my Mom's," I say, regretting saying anything at all as the smile drops from my lips.

"Your mother danced?" he asks me and I nod before he takes a sip.

"She was a dance teacher," I say. "She taught me and my sister some dancing. She even taught my Dad, even though he didn't like to dance."

Kol frowns. "If he doesn't like dancing, how on earth did they meet or shared a life?"

"It's a funny story, actually," I say with a grin at the memory of my mom telling me the story. "She said she had been on her way to work, coffee in hand and everything when she stopped at a red light. It had rained that morning, so there were puddles here and there. Then, a car had stopped at the same red light and it had stepped on a puddle, completely drenching her."

"Really?" he asked me, grinning while I chuckled lowly. "Did your father come to the rescue like a knight in shining armor?"

"Nope, just listen," I say with a smile. "She said she had yelled and insulted the person, never looking at him in her rant or letting him talk before storming off to her job. She was furious and her temper can rival an Original's."

"Well, I'm glad I can't potentially end up on her bad side," Kol says as he takes a sip from his drink. "And where is your father in all of this?"

"Well, during her class, my Mom had a new student," I continue the story. "At the end, the new student talked to her and was complimenting her before asking her out to compensate for having drenched her with his car."

"Your father drenched your mother?" asks Kol, chuckling a bit and I chuckle with him.

"She actually turned him down a few times before she finally relented since he continued attending her dance lessons," I say. "My Dad said that there is no better way to gain a girl's heart than by doing something she loves with her, even when you loathe it with every fiber of your being. He liked how she smiled, saying that she practically glowed."

"Your father was quite the determined man," Kol says before downing the rest of his drink, ordering another. "Now, from whom did you inherit your sharp tongue? I'm really interested on knowing who I should be thanking for giving you the ability to get you killed in a matter of seconds."

"That would be my mother," I answer. "But, she had a better control over it."

"I can tell," he says and I smack his arm, to which he gives me a pained look, feigning being hurt.

"Oh, come on," I say, seeing right through him, even though he's being sarcastic. "Was the great Kol Mikaelson hurt by a tiny little woman?"

"Not a woman, a ghost," he clarifies before smirking and downing the rest of his drink.

"Excuses, excuses," I say, using his words, to which he rolls his eyes at me. I sigh before my eyes fall on the door that most likely leads to the second floor. "Aren't you going to get a 'snack'?" I ask him, to which he frowns since I now notice that he hasn't even glanced at the door that Alfred said that led to where the vampires were feeding.

"I'd rather much be here with you," he says with a seductive grin, to which I blush as he leans closer to me with the intention to kiss me.

"Are you sure about that?" I cringe at the voice, recognizing it as Kol and I turn to our sides and see Layla standing there, smirk in place with her hands on his hips.

I sigh in irritation at her having interrupted me and Kol. I look her over and see she's wearing a red, strapless mini dress that doesn't leave much to one's imagination, to which I scrunch up my nose at. She compliments her dress with black heels and her lapis lazuli bracelets. Her hair is in waves to one side and I have to say that she's wearing too much make-up, but doesn't look too bad.

"The fun is upstairs, sweetheart," Layla says as she leans closer to Kol, making me sigh in irritation as I keep myself from saying anything that might end the night bloody.

"I have a spot upstairs," Alfred says as he appears next to me, to which I cringe at, "if you want it."

"I don't need to be cajoled into feeding," Kol says, almost sounding like a growl since Kol isn't one to be told what to do. "Not that I mind a bite."

"You're hungry, mate," Alfred argues and I can't help but agree since Kol hasn't fed since this morning. "Have a meal. You're looking a little pale."

"You should go," I say, making him frown at me while Layla and Alfred smirk at one another, which makes me frown in question at tem but I ignore it. "You haven't fed in a while and you need to eat."

"Gwen-"

"The lady's right, my friend," Alfred says as he cuts off Kol's warning tone. "Your eyes are filled with hunger. I'll watch over dear Gwen." I cringe once more at the nickname, which Kol notices but I try to give him an encouraging smile. "She'll be safe."

Kol looks to me and I nod. "I'll be fine."

Kol sighs before flagging down the bartender, ordering a shot and downing it in one gulp before standing up in front of me. "Stay put." I nod before he follows Layla to the door that leads upstairs as Alfred sits on the chair that Kol was previously occupying.

"So, a ghost?" he asks as he orders a drink. "How did that happen?"

"I died," I say matter-of-factly as the bartender hands Alfred a drink, offering me one but I shake my head.

"And how did you and Kol meet?" he asks. "He doesn't look like the type to be so attached to another or to settle down."

"Well, he did try to kill me when we first met," I say, earning a surprised look from Alfred. "He changed his mind about killing me, we spent some time together and now we're just travelling."

"You seem to know the Mikaelsons pretty well," he says as he takes a sip from his glass.

"I met them all," I say, trying not to give him too much information, something I learned from Klaus in our time together and I'm sticking to it. "They are intense."

"I'm surprised you survived them," he says. "Wait; don't tell me one of them was the one who killed you."

I frown at him, insulted. "No, they would never."

"That would've been a fine twist to your story," he says, trying to be charming but my lack of response seems to be making it hard for him to get much out of me. "I never thought I'd see the day that a ghost hangs around vampires; well, Original vampires at that."

"Yeah, well, witches hate me," I explain. "I don't think werewolves would be fans, considering the company I keep. Humans can't see me unless I allow it, but it's exhausting since I don't age. So vampires are my best bet."

"I can attest that you are a gem amongst us," he says as he brushes his handover mine while smirking seductively, inching closer to me while I lean back. "You're really a sight and probably a delicacy."

"Um," I gulp and jump out of my seat, getting out of Alfred's reach. "I think I should find Kol."

Alfred nods. "I'll take you to him. Follow me."

I nod at him before he downs his drink in one gulp and standing up from the stool. I follow him through the crowd and to the door. He opens it and lets me in first, seeing that there is also a bouncer behind this door. Alfred nods at the bouncer before leading me up the stairs, coming to a hallway filled with many doors, some closed and others open. The hallway is dimly lit by lights attached to the walls between doors. I suddenly feel intensely cold, the cold that belongs to death. I don't want to even imagine what is behind the closed doors. I follow Alfred down the hall, passing many doors and noticing that the ones open are either clean rooms or they are filled with blood.

"In here," I jump at Alfred's voice when he motions to a room with his hand.

I sigh before entering, frowning when I don't see Kol but a blond-haired man in his late twenties with his blue, buttoned-up shirt open with blood running down from his mouth to his bare chest. He has blue pants and is barefoot. He smirks at me when I notice the dead brunette girl on the bed, turning around to find Alfred smirking and closing the door behind him. Chills go up my back at the hunger in their eyes and the pure predatory looks on their faces. I keep myself calm, trying not to lose control.

"You were right," I turn to the blond vampire behind me, seeing his vampiric features manifesting, "she does smell good."

"Let's see what she tastes like," I turn to Alfred, his vampiric features manifesting. "I've been dying to have a bite."

I raise my hand at a lunging Alfred, flinging him back with my powers and sending him crashing into the wall. I turn in time to do the same to the blond vampire, sending him crashing back against the opposite wall, earning a grunt of pain from him. I scream in surprise when I am thrown into a wall, groaning in discomfort at how I land on the floor with Alfred towering over me.

"Not so tough now, eh, dear Gwen?" he says with a smirk as I cringe at the nickname while glaring up at him. "I bet Kol is having his fill about now, in more ways than one." He smirks while I frown. "He's probably on Layla by now, so I doubt you'll be missed."

The mere thought of Layla on Kol turns my insides in disgust and Alfred notices as he starts chuckling. My glare hardens as the room begins to get colder, which I notice at Alfred's frown when he can see his own breath. I flick my hand at him, throwing him back and silencing his chuckling, which turns into groaning while I stand up, taking notice of the other blond vampire gathering his wits before his glaring eyes fall on me. I manage to calm my emotions, the temperature starting to rise.

"Kol!" I call, not really sure I want to kill these vampires as Alfred gets up once more. I turn from them and go through the door, ending up in the hallway. "Kol!" I call frantically as I look through the open rooms, not going through the closed ones and end up finding that Alfred was right about Kol and Layla. "Kol?"

I yelp when I collide against the wall, pinned to it by a hand around my neck, squeezing. I groan as I grab hold of Alfred's wrist with both of my hands, trying to pry it off my neck without much success as I begin to panic at the sight of other vampires beginning to poke their heads out of their rooms at the commotion I was causing with my calls for Kol.

"Well," Alfred says as he runs his nose along my jawline while his body is almost against mine, to which I turn my head away from him, "just you and me."

"Let me go," I say with a glare as I calm my panicking emotions at his close proximity and the prospect of him biting me.

"Just a bite," Alfred says as his vampiric features appear, causing me to gasp as he goes to bite me, but he's pulled away from me and held next to me against the wall by his throat by Kol. "Kol?"

"You should know better than to try and take a bite from another vampire's girl," Kol says with a smirk on his lips, but the anger is evident in his eyes. "Do you even know whose patience you've tested?"

"Come on, Kol," Alfred says and I notice the stances the vampires were taking, which were ready to pounce and they seem to be ready to defend Alfred. "I just wanted a bite. You can't say it's not hard not to. You've left a lot of bodies drained in the few days of your stay."

"She's _mine_," Kol growls at Alfred's face. "You'd do well to know that if she's harmed I'll start ripping hearts out and I never go back on my word."

"Kol?" I say, trying to get his attention as the vampires around us begin to show their vampiric features. "I'm fine. There's no need for bloodshed tonight."

Alfred grins darkly. "You might care about her, but you just want to rip into her throat, don't you? Have a small little drop?" I frown when I notice Kol's vampiric features beginning to surface.

"Kol?" I say and place a hand on his arm, causing him to come back from his thoughts before turning to me. "We need to go."

He sighs deeply when he notices the other vampires before turning back to Alfred. "You do know that numbers mean nothing if your little coven decides to plummet to their deaths. This will be your one and only warning to make yourself scarce."

"We don't answer to you," Alfred hisses at Kol, the latter shrugging nonchalantly before breaking the former's neck, the sting of it in my neck.

"Does anyone else want to play the hero?" Kol asks as he looks around the place with a cocky grin while raising his arms to his sides. "Do think before you act, darlings."

Kol's face darkens as he grabs my arm in a tight hold that is not so rough while we begin to take our leave. I can tell he is royally furious by the dark look in his eyes and I am surprised that he didn't start ripping limbs off on every turn of this place. We both remain silent as we make our exit, knowing that this night will put a damper on things.

_I hope things will lighten up for tomorrow and the next days to come,_ I think to myself, knowing that Kol is not going to let this night slide without consequences.

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><p><strong>End of chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed this. Remember to review or PM your thoughts and opinions and anything else you want to say to me. You can also Follow or Favorite.<strong>

**Thanks for reading guys and see ya later!**


	6. Chapter 5

**Woohoo! I'm on a roll here! So I am not going to be able to update until I am done with finals, which will be soon but I will leave you with this chapter and I hope you guys enjoy!**

**I want to thank you guys for the support and reviews and everything else, which inspires me.**

**Now, remember that I own nothing of the Vampire Diaries, except for everything else. Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

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><p>The morning is rather bright and glowing with not a cloud in sight, which I am finding is a rare occurrence since it has either been raining or it's been cloudy during our whole stay in London. There must be plenty people outside, enjoying themselves in the sunny day and just having a good time. It is a beautiful day, but I find it grim and I can't help but take part of the blame for having caused it to become as such; well, not that it's entirely my fault. And I can't help but think that it is beautiful outside on a not so joyful day.<p>

I stare up at the ceiling while lying on the bed of the duplex apartment in the hotel we are staying in, finding myself uncomfortable and bored. I release a solemn sigh since Kol hasn't talked to me or even spared me a glance since we left the party last night in agonizing silence. We didn't even share the bed since he slept on the couch downstairs. I found myself almost joining him many times during the night, but I stopped myself each time since I decided to just let Kol calm down. The only things I heard were Kol shuffling about downstairs and ordering room service not a few minutes ago_. I think he's had enough time for himself,_ I think as I sit up on the bed.

I release a deep sigh, mentally preparing myself for my confrontation with Kol as I stand up from the bed. I deliberately take slow steps as I make my way over to the top of the stairs before making my way down to the bottom, not bothering to look over the skyline to watch the sun shining down at the view we have. I flinch with a frown when I feel a sting in my neck, going down the steps faster to find a female employee on the floor, dead. I sigh as I look over to the couch where Kol is sitting on, smirking at the dead blonde on the floor at his feet with blood dripping down his chin. I can't help but shuffle uncomfortably on my feet as I look at Kol, disliking how I fear to end up like the blonde since Kol wouldn't do that to me…_right?_

I open my mouth and close it a few times, nervous since I know that Kol might still be upset or might be upset by my presence. "Kol?"

Kol looks up at me, his amusement gone with his face devoid of emotions. "What can I help you with?"

"Well, I-"

"Do you want another suicide party for you to attend?" he asks mirthlessly, cutting me off. "I have plenty of those. Why, we can start one right now, if you want." I open my mouth once more to talk. "Do you want to prove to yourself something?" He stands up as he approaches me with angry eyes. "Or is it that you want to prove to, not only yourself, but to Niklaus something?" I freeze at this while I continue to avoid his eyes, a bit angry that he's angry at me. "Would you care to give me an answer, _dear_ Gwen?"

I cringe at that. "Don't call me that."

"Answer me," he growls and I look up at him, matching his glare with my own, not caring that he has blood on his face.

"You don't have to be condescending," I say, not really wanting to justify myself to him at the moment.

"I have every right, _dear_ Gwen," he hisses at me. "You wanted to go to the bloody party. You wanted to prove that you're capable of managing yourself, but it got me thinking that you're not doing this for you. I told you to follow my lead while in there, but you follow a vampire to the bloody brothel where over a dozen of vampires could've ended up feeding on you!"

"I was fine," I counter.

"You didn't look fine when I found you," he argues while a thought enters my mind.

"Where were you?"

He frowns, a bit taken aback. "What?"

"I went looking for you with Alfred. Where were you?"

"I was having a drink at your request," he growls once more, which is getting quite old. "Not the best I've had but eatable."

"And Layla?" I ask, to which he narrows his eyes at me and it is obviously too late to take back my question.

"How did this turn on me?" he asks, smirking in disbelief, but I really want to know where Layla was in all of this. Kol seems to have figured me out as he gives me a dark and angry grin. "The strumpet watched as I fed and tried to get in my pants when I heard you call me the first time. Excuse me if I was trying to not break her neck to get to you. Alas, she ended up losing her head." I now feel guilty for assuming he was _with_ her. "You thought I bedded her?"

"Alfred said-"

"You'd trust his word over mine?" he hisses to my face and I couldn't help but feel worse now. "_You actually think that low of me?_"

My eyes widen a bit at the familiarity of his words, bringing me back to a time when Klaus and I weren't exactly on good terms. It was actually the first heated argument Klaus and I had, which turned out to be our silver lining.

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><p>"<em>You didn't have to kill him!" I yelled at Klaus as we stood in the living room of our home in New York, which was a penthouse with the fireplace lit and a dead boy on the couch with his neck snapped.<em>

"_He was human," he said, his anger was bright on his face from the shadows the fireplace casted on his skin. "I saved you the trouble, love."_

"_I liked him!" I yelled, trying to keep calm and not break the house in my fit, which was proving to be quite difficult._

_He guffawed at this. "A little fancy that you'll get over. Besides, he was human and you're a ghost. You'll never age, you'll never be physical and many more things that you'll never get to do. I thought you knew that."_

"_I just want to have some semblance of life, Klaus," I argued as tears welled up in my eyes. "Is it so wrong to want some normalcy?"_

"_You're dead," he said with finality. "It's high time you acknowledge and accept it."_

"_You had no right to take his life!"_

"_I have every right and you'd do well to remember that," he growled, his vampiric features coming into view, to which I took a step back in fear that he'd hurt me, which he noticed. His face returned to being human and regretful. "You actually think that low of me?"_

"_I don't know what to think anymore," I sobbed as tears streamed down my cheeks. "I didn't want to die."_

_I sobbed as I covered my face with my hands, wishing that I was alive. I only wanted things to be normal, to be alive. I paused when I felt arms wrap around me, which only prompted more tears to stream down my cheeks. I wrapped my arms around Klaus' waist and hiding my face into his chest as he leaned his cheek on top of my head while rocking us ever so softly. I squished my eyes closed, willing my tears to stop as I breathed in Klaus' scent and wishing that I hadn't died, that I hadn't lost my family._

"_I'm sorry, sweetheart," Klaus whispered as I turned my head to have my cheek against his shoulder. "I wish I could help you more."_

_I shook my head before pulling back a bit to stare up at him. "It's not your fault. I was just dealt with a hand that wasn't to my liking and you're right. I should accept things as they are and count myself lucky for some reason."_

"_I swear to you, Gwen," he said as he pulled me back to his chest, "you'll never be alone. I will always be there to protect you."_

"_Come hell or high water?" I asked as I smiled a bit while we both stared at the fireplace with my head against his chest and his is on top of mine._

"_Let the devil come himself if he so dares," he said, to which I smiled._

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><p>"Kol, I," I say, coming back from my memories as Kol scoffs. "I didn't know what to think."<p>

"You trust me," he yells, "is what you do."

"How can I?" I yell back and gasp when I register my words, covering my mouth, being too late to sop myself as Kol stares at me blankly. "Kol, I didn't-"

"I get it," he says, dark smirk in place. "You've been Klaus' pet for so long that you can't even stand on your own two feet, so you decided to prove to him that you aren't a bloody deadweight. I have to say that you failed."

"I understand I should've been more careful," I say, feeling tears welling up in my eyes at the fact that he's right and throwing it at my face without much sensibility, getting frustrated with his unreasonable mind. "You don't have to be an ass about it."

"You almost got yourself killed, so pardon me if I'm being an 'ass about it'," he says. "You should've known better, Gwen."

"But I am fine," I stress out. "I didn't get hurt."

"You could've gotten hurt," he counters as he turns his back to me. "You're proving to be a pain on my side."

"I'm sorry if I don't meet your expectations," I say, getting angry myself at him as he turns back to me. "What do you want? Do you want someone compliant like that Layla since she was throwing herself at your feet and spreading her legs for you."

"I'd prefer that," he says and he's head turns to the side after a loud smack.

I frown, not knowing why my hand stings, but then I notice the red on Kol's cheek from where I had just slapped him. My breath catches. _I just slapped him,_ I think in my panic. _I've never slapped him before. It felt kinda good._ I just slapped him, not even wanting to, but his last words had done the trick to have me lash out without letting my powers explode with my anger.

"I'm sorry," I whisper, not giving him a chance to turn to face me before I disappear from the apartment.

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><p>I open my eyes and look around, smiling at the fact that I just appeared on the park that the apartment has a view of. Not once did Kol and I visit the park that we have a full view of since we always found to entertain ourselves with other things. I smile at the amount of people covering the park on this sunny day, not even wanting to be visible and just be by myself. There were people riding bicycles, in groups, in pairs, selling stuff on the sides, playing with their children on the grass, playing with their dog or having a picnic. They were living.<p>

I sigh, knowing that it is best that Kol and I spend some time apart to calm ourselves. I figure that Kol must be angry at me. I don't even know why I just slapped him like I did. I hug myself before starting to walk, causing people to cringe when I go through them. I can't find myself to even bother to go around them in my thoughtful state, just looking at my surroundings. I take a deep, unnecessary breath as I yearn to feel the sun on my skin, but I know better.

I go over to a fountain, finding a spot on the edge to sit on. There are others sitting on the edge of the fountain; they are resting, spending time together or something of the sort since it is a great day to be out and about. I scan the area and chuckle when I see a dark-haired man playing catch with his dog, which seems to be a chocolate-coated Labrador Retriever. It wags its tail as it stands a fair distance away from his owner before the ball is thrown and it springs into the air to catch it, going back to its owner once he caught his prize.

I look to the side and grimace when I find a couple sitting on a bench. The man has an arm around her shoulders to keep her snug against his side and to fight off the wind as they smile at one another while having a conversation. He reaches forward and steals a kiss from her, to which she grins at him in blissful happiness that almost has me shedding tears.

I look away with a sigh, knowing that I might have some semblance of what they have, but I'll never be able to actually do much with it in my state. _You're a ghost, for crying out loud,_ I scold myself. And I am right. I can't have a normal relationship and spend days at the park without being careful, plan a future or even satisfy my partner. I will always be stuck this way with no way of moving forward.

My thoughts bring me to Kol and Klaus. I need to get it through my head that I am with Kol now and not with Klaus. Kol is placing trust in me to keep myself out of trouble without having to worry since I doubt he's ever have to worry about anyone like this in his immortal life. And I know it either scares or bothers him to some length. With Klaus, I've always been placed in a safe place that he knows I'll be safe in since he has ways to make it so if he isn't around to do it himself. I strayed from the safe path that Klaus made safe for me and now I am where the wild things are with only myself to keep me safe, knowing that Kol will do everything in his power to keep me safe; I think he just hasn't acknowledged that he's doing it.

Frustration builds up in me as my thoughts bundle into an untamable mess, to which I rub my temples to ease down the throbbing. I understand it was my own fault for trusting a vampire since they only ever look to me for my blood and this isn't the first time that something like this happened.

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><p>"<em>Are you sure you want to leave?" Klaus asked me as we stood at the entrance of a bar that was filled with humans partying and some vampires that Klaus needed to get information out of. "I can make things move faster, get what I want, tear their hearts out and be on our way."<em>

"_I'm fine," I said. "You take things on your own pace; I'm just tired of keeping myself visible. I've never gone this long and I don't want to be invisible."_

_He nodded in understanding. "All right, go on then."_

"_I'll see you when you get back," I said and he nodded before going back inside, leaving me alone on one of the many streets of New Hampshire to go back to the motel we're staying in._

_I began walking down the road, taking a skip in my steps as I stared up at the starlit sky with a smile on my lips at the forest around me. I still was in the town but the only things that were still open were the bar and the diner. I took a deep breath, ignoring that I don't need it and smiled as I exhaled._

"_Help!" I perked up at the distressed voice coming from around the corner of the diner that was a little away from the bar. "Please!" I saw a man rounding the corner, bent in pain as he clutched his side with his hand. "Please, help me, miss."_

"_What happened?" I asked as I approached him, trying to look at his wound. I took notice of his dark, curly hair and brown eyes. "Are you all right?"_

"_I am now," he said and I frowned up at him, gasping when I saw his vampiric features manifesting before grabbing my arms to blur me over to the side of the diner where it was desolate, pinning me against the wall. By being closer to him, I frowned when I saw that he was at the bar that I had just left. "Not just gullible and good-smelling, but pretty too."_

_I screamed when his fangs began to descend, but they never made it to my skin since he was pulled off of me by a furious Klaus. Klaus was holding the squirming vampire by his neck and a foot above the ground. I sighed in relief, taking a minute to calm down while leaning against the side of the diner._

"_You are either bold or plain pathetic," Klaus growled before he ripped out the heart of the vampire with his free hand, to which I flinched at the sting in my heart. "Good riddance."_

"_Nik," I said in relief as he turned to me and I go over to him, ending up engulfed by his arms. "Thank you."_

"_It's all right, sweetheart," he said into my hair as he rubbed my back. "I'm here."_

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><p>Klaus never failed to be there for me; before or after whatever trouble I had gotten in, but normally before since he somehow knew I'd end up in trouble. I had later found out that he either followed me back to make sure I was fine or sent someone to follow me and make sure I was safe. I never got bothered by it since I feared to end up being a snack, which is not pleasant, even if I am ghost.<p>

And now, I don't have Klaus to keep me safe. I have Kol. I sigh, knowing that he was right in his argument, but he was wrong in how he phrased it, which is the reason why I had slapped him. I can't say that he was completely right, but I know I was not in my attempt to find some sort of proof that I am capable of surviving on my own, even though I can if I make sure to never make any contact with corporeal beings.

Thinking about Kol makes me realize that I should return to the hotel since he probably has no idea where I am and might be even angrier because of that. I shrug, deciding to return later since I am too tired to deal with him and his shifting moods.

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><p>I go through the door to my and Kol's apartment, having taken more time to myself since the sun is setting. I frown when I find the place is dimly lit by a single lamp as I scan the place. I notice that the blonde corpse is no longer here, which means that Kol cleaned it up in my absence. I still can't help but worry about the fact that I don't see Kol and that nothing is broken or thrown in result of a fit of anger, which means that Kol must've let off steam some other way. I disappear from the first floor and appear on the second, gasping when I find Kol sitting on the edge of the bed.<p>

What had me gasping is the fact that Kol is drenched with blood all over his body. He has his arms on his knew with the hands hanging and his head His clothes are bloodied with few places where it's clean, his hands are completely red with dried blood on them. His face has blood splattered on his face with dry blood in his hair. He doesn't look up at me, just continuing to stare at the floor with furrowed brows. And yet, I don't find myself afraid, but a bit irked at the blood on him.

"Kol?" I whisper as I approach him, but receive no movement from him. I kneel in front of him, but still receive no move of acknowledgement from him. "Kol." At this, he looks up at me, his eyes widening a bit as if I have just arrived and didn't seem to think he'd see me any time soon. "Are you okay?"

He nods, his face blank, not showing me any type of emotion. I sigh as I place my hands on his bloody cheeks, stroking it as I look him over. I scan my eyes over him, trying to find any damage done to him but come up with none. Satisfied that I find nothing wrong with him physically, I sigh in relief before standing up.

"I'll be right back," I say, not waiting for an answer before going to the bathroom, deciding that he should get cleaned up before anything else.

I look around, going over to the cupboards below the sink and opening them to pull out a bowl with a medium-sized towel. I stand up with the bowl in my hands and place it in the sink, opening the faucet to fill the bowl with water. I go over to the bathtub and open the faucet, letting it fill the tub before going over to the sink and turning its faucet off. I take the bowl and the towel before going back to the bedroom, finding Kol is still in the same place I left him.

I approach him and kneel in front of him, setting the bowl full of water between his feet. I feel Kol's eyes on me as I dip the towel deep into the bowl of water. I concentrate on making sure the towel is all wet before taking it out and wringing it, keeping it humid. I look up and find Kol frowning at me; I offer him a small smile. I extended my hand for him to give me his. A few seconds pass as he debates this before giving me his hand and I begin cleaning it with the towel, washing off as much blood as possible. I smile when I see it's almost clean before doing the same to his other hand.

I nod in satisfaction when I finish cleaning his hands as much as I could before dipping the towel back the red water in the bowl. The white towel is no longer white but a pink shade from staining it with blood and drenching it in water. I look up and stand tall on my knees between Kol's legs. I push away as much of his soft hair away from his face, noticing that his use for gel is lessening. I lock eyes with him before returning to clean the blood of his face with the damp towel. I softly scrub his forehead before going to his cheeks, then to his nose and then his mouth. I cleaned as much blood off him as I could, for I don't want him not to completely taint the bath with blood. I squeak in surprise when he grabs my wrists, squeezing them but not out of anger as my eyes lock with his.

"Where were you?" he asks, no trace of anger in his tone, only curiosity.

"I was at the park," I say as I glance at said park from our skyline, which Kol also glances at before we turn our eyes back to one another.

He softly chuckles. "I scoured all of London looking for you, only to find you were right under my nose."

I smile a bit. "You should take a bath, I already have it running. We'll talk after."

He sighs before nodding. I put the stained towel in the bowl filled with the tainted water. I pick up the bowl and stand up with the intention to pour it into the sink. I am about to go there when Kol snatches it from my hands with a small smirk.

"I'll take it," he says before going into the bathroom with the bowl and I sigh before appearing downstairs.

If I were alive, I'd yawn before I'd sit on the sofa, but that isn't going to happen. I can tell that Kol turned the faucet off since there is no more constant splashing and he's probably already in it. I sit on the sofa, reclining on its corner and simply staring at the skyline, watching the night with the stars and moon to light it up while a lamp dimly lights up the apartment.

I don't know how long he was bathing, but I hear some rougher splashing, which seems to me that he's getting out of the bathtub. I hear some shuffling upstairs, which means he's drying himself and putting some clothes on. I remain calm and collected, not having organized my thoughts by the time he comes down the stairs in clean clothes while I sit up straight.

We both lock eyes as he reaches the bottom of the stairs, not knowing what to say or how to even be near each other. I offer him a smile of encouragement before he slowly comes over to the sofa, sitting down a few inches next to me without saying much to one another. I open my mouth a few times to start, but my thoughts are too muddled, so I just close my mouth and wait for him to start.

"Aren't you going to ask me who I killed?" he asks me and I frown when I turned to him, but he doesn't turn to me and just watches the floor in front of him, not really zeroing in on anything.

"Do you want to tell me?" I ask, not wanting to end this conversation into an argument. "You don't have to, but I am curious."

He turns to me with a sigh, his eyes narrowing at me as they roam all over my face while I wait for him to finish with patience. "It was the vampires at Alfred's."

"Oh," I manage to say, not really knowing what else to say. "Why?"

"I was angry—I am angry at what they could've done to you," he says and I frown at this. "They might've not hurt you, but they had every intention to do so and I was just angry. I am angry at Alfred for almost hurting you, I was angry at Layla for making you uncomfortable and I was angry at you for…" he says and looks for words to finish his sentence as his eyes narrow at me, "for being you."

I chuckle at this. "What happened after I left?"

He sighs. "I scoured most of London while looking for you." I smile apologetically at this, knowing that I should have at least told him I was fine or something. "I was angry, dropped some bodies before going to Alfred's. I killed the vampires that were there. Easy pickings since they didn't have daylight amulets." He sighs.

"What happened next?"

"I didn't find Alfred," he says, seeming to go back to when it happened. "No one knew what happened to him. He just disappeared." I frown, worried about Alfred's whereabouts. "He must've relocated somewhere else, there's nothing worse than getting on the bad side of an Original." I roll my eyes at this. "I thought you had left."

I frown at him. "What?"

"I thought you had gone back to Klaus after our spat this morning."

"Kol," I say, taking a hand of his in mine while keeping my eyes solely on his, "just because we have an argument doesn't mean I'm going to ditch you for Nik. Being part of a relationship means that we're going to argue and we have to learn to get used to one another, if that's what you still want."

"Of course I do, darling," he says and I sigh in relief. "You're just different from my other conquests." I raise an eyebrow in question at this, to which he chuckles. "I don't want you compliant or spreading your legs for me, I didn't mean that. I want you, just you. Don't take this the wrong way, but, if you were someone I didn't know or recognize, I would have been more charming, flirty and just take you as a snack. I'm glad you're who you are." I frown at this. "I would've just eaten you and discarded you like I would any other living meal. Being Jen's descendant isn't all bad. It got you the most handsome Mikaelson at your beck and call." I chuckle at this while he smirks. "There's something else."

"What?"

"I didn't…" he begins but fights for word, opening and closing his mouth a few times, to which I frown at. "I want to…" He grabs my hands in his, stroking their back as he tries to find the right words.

"What is it?" I say, showing him I'm patient and encouraging him. "Can I say something first?" He sighs in relief before nodding. "I made last night a mess for a selfish need. I've been with Nik for six constant years and the longest I've gone without him is a month. I just needed some sort of assurance, I guess, that I'd be okay without him and I am with you. And I want to apologize for last night and whatever else that you think I did wrong."

"There's nothing to forgive," he says rather quickly, to which I nod.

"I also want to apologize for slapping you," I say with a regretful smile while he chuckles. "I honestly don't know what came over me. I was so frustrated and upset; I don't recall even thinking about slapping you. I have never slapped anyone like that, except for Nik, now that I think about it."

"I deserved it," he says, to which I sigh in relief. "I have to say, you have a good arm." I chuckle at this, not really wanting to since I want to be serious for this. "I also…want to…apologize for my behavior."

"Apology accepted and you don't have to change Kol, not for me," I say without even thinking about it, but also amazed that he apologized since he has never apologized to me for anything. "Are we good?"

He smirks before he crashes his lips on mine, holding the back of my head in place as our lips mold against one another. I let go of his hand and wrap my arms around his neck, digging my fingers into his damp hair while his free hand goes to my hip as we recline on the sofa, lips still attached. He deepens the kiss, but pulls back, to which I playfully glare at his smirk.

"I have something else to say," he says, to which I frown. "I _do_ care about you, Gwen. The feeling is foreign because I've worried over my siblings before but never like this. It's difficult to get used to you, but I swear I will."

I smile at him as I stroke his cheek with his eyes following my every movement. "I care about you, Kol. We're both works in progress, so we can do this together."

"Deal," he says with a grin.

"Did we just have our first fight and make-up in one day?" I ask, to which he shrugs.

"I believe so," he says. "How many more are there in store for us?"

"I think a few more," I say as the hand that he has on the back of my head goes to around my shoulders while we have our heads leaning on the couch as we face one another. "I'll blame them all on you for future reference."

He gives me a bewildered look while I chuckle. "Why?"

"You're more prone to instigate them."

He rolls his eyes at me. "Whatever you say, darling."

"Where to, now?" I ask as I place my head under his chin, cuddling into him. "Are we staying or what?"

"We're leaving," he says and I already knew that was coming. "It's too risky to stay, especially with the amount of bodies I dropped."

"Then we'll go," I say as I feel him press his lips on my temple, to which I smile as the skin there turns warm before he places his head on top of mine, both of us staring out the skyline as we accept that changes are to come for both of us, we just have to break on through them.

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><p><strong>That's it, guys! I hope you enjoyed and bear with me on the little while I'll not be able to post. Please, review, Follow or Favorite, but I'd also like to hear your thoughts and opinions so far.<strong>

**Thanks for reading and see ya later!**


	7. Chapter 6

**Hello, guys! I managed to squeeze in another chapter for you all and I hope you guys enjoy it since I am quite proud of this one with all the fluffiness, which is not something that will last but oh well.**

**Thanks for your support and love you guys!**

**Remember, nothing belonging to the Vampire Diaries is mine, except for the obvious.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 6<strong>

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><p>"I'm going to miss London," I say as I stare up at the hotel we had been staying in for the duration of our visit while Kol had some valets filling the trunk of a car he 'rented' with his belongings, which grew in the shopping we had.<p>

Ever since Kol said it was best to leave London two days ago, he has been planning our trip none stop. We decided to go to Italy and travel by car, which he probably compelled it for himself and made sure that we left no permanent tracks that would follow us. I am honestly sad that we're leaving London since I came to like the atmosphere and just everything about it, given the fact that our visit was cut short.

"You have my word that we'll come back," Kol says as he wraps his arms around my waist from behind, placing his chin on my shoulder. "We'll have to wait for a couple of years or at least until the heat comes down a bit. I didn't know humans would become so frenzied with a couple of dead bodies."

"That's the police, Kol," I say. "Their job is to solely deal with things like this, but they have nothing on us since we don't really exist. We're not on their database or anything."

"I am going to assume that you said we're completely off the hook," he says, probably not having understood what I meant, which brings a chuckle out of me.

"It does," I say as I turn in his arms to face him while placing my hands on his chest. "It means that they don't have anything to link us to the crime or to existence."

"I knew there was a reason to have brought you along," he says with a smirk and I smack his arm before stepping out of his arms and going over to the car that was ready to go.

I approach Angus. "Thank you, Angus."

"It was a pleasure to be of service to you, Miss Mikaelson," he says with a small bow and I can't help but force my smile to stay in place to not glare at Kol, who is probably smirking as he makes sure everything is in order.

"Thank you for your services, Angus," Kol says as he comes to stand next to me with an arm around my shoulders. "They were exceptional."

I grin at Angus. "Thank you for enduring my apparent husband; it's not an easy task so far."

Angus chuckles at this. "It was a pleasure, Miss Mikaelson."

"Well, it's best to take our leave, darling," Kol says as he leads me over to the passenger side of the car, opening the door for me before I get in and he closes the door once I'm settled. I am rather surprised that he got a Cayenne Porsche, which is not a convertible. The door to the driver's seat is opened and Kol climbs in. "Time to set sail."

"We're in a car, not a boat," I say with a frown as he turns the key into the car, bringing it to life.

"Just go with it," he says with a roll of his eyes while I chuckle at him, earning a soft look from him that causes my stomach to turn pleasantly.

"What route are we taking?" I ask as I grab a map from the glove compartment in front of my seat, opening it to find a map of Europe as Kol pulls out to the road as I roam my eyes over it in excitement. "Where are we going through?"

"I thought we'd go through France," he says, turning to look at him with wide eyes while he smirks at me. "And then to Italy."

"Really?" I ask excitedly. "How long are we staying in France?"

"Not long," he says. "I want to put some distance between us and London as fast as I can."

"All right, so we'll be going through the Channel Tunnel to get to Paris," I say as I look over the map while scrunching up my nose at not being able to read the map well. "How long are we staying in Paris?"

"I'd say about four or five days," he says, to which I pout. "Why are you making that face?"

"We're not staying long, that's what," I say. "It is the City of Love; excuse me if I want to really experience the love."

"Don't worry, darling," he says, grin in place. "I'll show you all Paris has to offer before we're done with it."

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><p>I cannot help the shocked look that still adorns my face, being like this since we had arrived to Paris yesterday in the night. The drive to France was rather quick since we arrived to France's soil in less than six hours since we left our hotel in London. It took us a few more hours to arrive at the hotel we'd be staying in, having stopped a few times for Kol to have a snack.<p>

We had arrived just past dusk and Kol was beyond tired, even though he tried to hide it and even said we should tour for a bit, but I knew better than to ask him to do that. I had to practically threaten him to just turn in and tour later and I'm glad that he was too tired to put up much of an argument. He had his things brought up to our room while we just went to it with no delays. The minute we entered our room, Kol made a beeline for the bed, saying he'd shut his eyes for some minutes but he slept through the whole night while I simply toured our place, which is unbelievably beautiful.

Our room is located on the seventh floor of the hotel, offering pure luxury, including a private terrace with the most panoramic view of the Eiffel Tower. Our room is nestled on top of a historic mansion, overlooking Paris and its monuments. I literally have the Eiffel Tower at my doorstep, catching my breath every time I step out into the terrace, which is where I currently am, bouncing on the balls of my feet in excitement while Kol still sleeps. The weather is windy with the trees coated with brown leaves because of the season we're in.

The room has panoramic bay windows in every room, offering views of, among others, the Eiffel Tower, the River Seine, bridges and the Grand Palais. I am amazed at how quickly I memorized everything the bellhop told me about the room when he brought Kol's luggage to our room while Kol slept. The large terrace overlooks the Eiffel Tower, giving me a full and perfect view of it. The luxury one-bedroom suite with separate living area, dining table and pantry is just to die for. I was bit amazed at the whole space we have, which is more than the one we had in London. The bellhop also told me our room is also be connected to create a private 'apartment' spanning the entire seventh floor, with four bedrooms, but I told him I'd talk it over with Kol, making sure to say that we're together but not married. I also loved the marble-clad bathrooms that feature a separate shower and Jacuzzi, mist-free mirror and heated floor.

Our room has everything to enable internet access, so Kol will like that. We also have cable television, but I prefer the indoor movie channels to watch some movies with Kol and get him updated, even if he ends up complaining about them later on. We have a flatscreen television in our bedroom and everything a man or woman might need in the bathroom, and I mean everything. We also have a full-size executive writing desk, but I don't think we'd use that. There is also an electronic safe, but I doubt we'd use that either. I do find that I'll enjoy playing with the bedside lighting controls, since they light up the terrace, which we have a view of from our bedroom. What I do love above all else is the coffee and tea-making facilities while Kol will enjoy the mini-bar above all else.

I smile wide as I lean against the railing of the terrace, enjoying the view, which quite literally takes my breath away. I couldn't wait much longer or for Kol to wake up, so I just came out here almost half an hour ago, making sure not to wake up Kol since he looked utterly exhausted from all the driving. We even argued that I should've taken the wheel for a while to let him rest, but he was adamant to continue driving since he said he didn't trust my driving, which instigated a playful argument.

"Enjoying the view, my darling?" I turn and find Kol leaning against the doorway to the terrace, smirking with his arms crossed over his chest, hair and clothes in disarray from sleep, and face still waking up.

I smile wider, too excited by the view, the place we're and by seeing him there, just standing there and smirking at me, which feels my chest with a heavy and unknown feeling that is pleasantly overwhelming. I can't help but run over to him and jumping into his arms as they automatically wrap around me while my legs wrap around his waist, both of us chuckling as he spins us once before setting back down on the floor but not letting go of my waist.

"I didn't even give you a compliment," he says as I smile up at him with my hands on his rather firm chest. "I can see you love the place so far."

"It's beautiful," I say as I turn to the view. "I can't believe we're not staying long."

"I promise to bring you back here too," he says, joking in his exasperation, causing me to chuckle. "Anywhere else I am forced to take you to?"

"None so far," I say as he leans down, pecking my lips with a soft kiss, my eyes closed even when he pulls away to press his forehead against mine. "Are there any old mates here that we should worry about?"

"I doubt it," he says and I open my eyes to find his on mine. "I can say that my time in France was filled with blood and too many parties to even remember. I was in pure euphoria."

"Well, let's hope we're lucky and just have fun," I say, to which he smirks, causing me to frown. "What's that evil little smirk for?"

He shrugs, smirk still in place. "I have a surprise for you tonight."

I perk up at this. "Really?" He hums in confirmation. "What is it?"

"You do know the concept of surprises, don't you?" he asks me with a cocky attitude, to which I roll my eyes at. "Well, I need to get ready."

I frown as he releases me and goes to the bedroom while I follow him. "Where are you going?"

"I am really hungry and I'm hungry for something from a vein," he says as he gives me an impish smile while going through his bags that I placed on a corner of the room. "I also need to have some things ready for tonight."

"That means I have to entertain myself," I say as I sit on the edge of the bed. "I'll just watch some real French movies."

Kol turns to me with a questioning look and clothes in his hands. "You know French?"

I smirk. "Oui, bien sûr je parle Français! Je ne suis pas seulement un joli visage."

"My, my," Kol says as he chuckles. "Je ne vous arrive donc à parler Français moi-même. Vous n'êtes plus qu'à pleine de surprises, mon chéri." I actually giggle at this as he approaches with hungry eyes, dropping the clothes on the bed next to me before bending over me with his hands on the bed on either side of me, his head inches away from mine. "Do you know how bloody sexy you sound?"

"Retour à vous," I reply and it is the truth, to which he smiles at me before crashing his lips on mine.

I respond eagerly, his French accent still fresh in my mind as I wrap my arms around his neck. I tug him down a bit, receiving a response when his body falls on mine. His lips go to my neck when I am on my back on the bed with him on top of me, running his hands up and down my sides while mine tangle in his hair as I begin to pant at his ministrations. I feel his human teeth brushing my skin, causing me to shiver but in a very pleasant way. I turn my head a bit, giving him more skin for him to place his lips on, loving them on my neck.

I gasp in surprise when his warmth is no longer on me and cold air is all I meet, frowning when I see him panting next to me on the bed with a hand over his eyes. I notice his fangs have elongated from his mouth, sitting up while he remains lying on his back, probably trying to regain control. I rest on my side, propping myself up next to him with my elbow as I look at him in worry.

"Kol?" I ask and he takes one last deep breath, his fangs retracting as he takes his hand from his eyes, which are their normal color as they stare back at me, but I know they were bloodshot with hunger while he had his hand over them.

He smirks, but it's not quite as big as he usually does it. "That was close, not that I mind taking a nip."

"You're better at controlling it than others," I say with a small smile, remembering the many times I've been bitten and it was normally due to lack of restraint from vampires. "Most would've taken more than a nip."

"I did take more than a nip, once upon a time," he says, both of us remembering the time he drained me dry of my blood.

"I forgave you for that, Kol," I say as I stroke his hair out of his forehead. "I thought we put that behind us, along with everything else."

"You'd do well to know that I am not good at letting things go," he says while I shake my head at him.

"Well, do as you please," I say as I sit up completely with him following my lead.

"Like always," he says as he stands up, picking up his clothes with him before going to the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

I sigh as I fall back on the bed again and placing an arm on my forehead as I stare up at the ceiling mindlessly. Kol and I can't share a moment without danger that he'll bite me if things escalate, not that they will ever escalate to anything beyond heated kisses and such but still. We need to find a way for him to get used to my blood or we'll forever have problems because of my blood, including the fact that he must be drinking large amounts of blood to not pounce on me when we're close. I frown as a thought comes to mind, but is shake it off since I doubt that Kol will be up for it.

* * *

><p>I stand on the terrace, leaning on the railing as I gaze at the lit city under the starlit sky. The city has its own stars in the form of lights that reflects the ones in the night sky. My chest is practically constricting itself as I gaze at Paris, the wonder of something new and foreign completely engulfing me. It also brings me joy that I am here with Kol, never having imagined that I'd be able to be with someone, even if there are unavoidable complications to come, if we decide to continue to be together.<p>

Like I had told Klaus, we're here to explore our feelings and understand them, which have been going to more romantic feelings towards one another. Kol seems to no longer have a problem with me looking like Jen while I am no longer afraid that he means to kill me. Still, we're living in the moment like any other couple, deciding to face the future at a later time since we have all the time in the world to do so. I can only smile at the thought of continuing to have Kol in my dead life, even if it eventually ends because I know that it would have been worth it.

I am currently waiting for Kol to arrive from having spent the whole day out; probably preparing everything for the surprise he said he had for me. A bellhop had come to my door, giving me a message from Kol to be ready by the time he arrived, saying that we'd leave the moment he arrived. So here I stand out on the terrace in a cream, sleeveless dress. The dress has a knotted-wrap front with a round neckline and a wrap skirt. The gray leggings aren't cropped and the cream, cardy ugg boots are the same. My necklace in place like always and my hair is loose in its waves with a single braid on the side. I actually feel nervous since my clothes can't really take the style of something fancier than the dress I managed to conjure up for the ball at Klaus' family mansion and I wish it could since I am in Paris, a rather fancy city to be in.

"Is it me or is there an angel on my terrace?" I smile and turn to find Kol leaning on the doorway of the terrace, wearing a grin with his hands in the pockets of his pants. He had a dark buttoned-up shirt with a stylish jacket to go over it, pants and shoes. His hair has less gel, so it falls over his forehead. And his only accessory being his daylight ring. "A rather gorgeous angel, might I add."

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Mister Mikaelson," I say as he approaches me, predatory eyes on me while I merely smile at him.

"Why don't you say that in French?" he demands more than asks as he places a hand on my waist, taking my hand in his other one.

I smirk and decide to indulge him since he seems to have become quite taken with my French. "Je l'ai dit, la flatterie vous mènera nulle part, Monsieur Mikaelson."

He merely grins at me widely as he brings me closer to him by my waist, gripping it tight while I place my free hand on his well-toned arm. I chuckle at his clear joy of me speaking French, which I had no idea that he would come to like so much. He leans in to kiss me but I stop him by taking my hand off his arm and placing my index finger on his soft lips, earning an indignant frown from him.

"I thought you had a surprise for me," I say, to which he chuckles as I place my hand back on his arm.

"You don't forget things so easily," he says, to which I shrug innocently.

"I talked in French for you, it's only fair you pay up," I counter, earning a raise of his eyebrows at our playful banter. "Besides, you've left me in suspense all day, which makes it beyond fair."

"Fair enough," he says with a toothy grin while I smile. "It's best to go. I don't want us to be tardy."

"I thought you liked tardy," I say as I wrap my hand around his arm while he leads us out of the apartment.

"No," he says with a pensive look. "That would be Rebekah."

I gasp in astonishment, causing us both to stop in our tracks. "I forgot to call her."

He frowns at me. "I think she can wait."

"I need to call her," I argue, not even sure if she's awake because of the time difference.

"Rebekah and Klaus have been calling every five minutes," Kol says, groaning in annoyance while my breath catches at Klaus calling. "You can call Rebekah tomorrow, which is the great beauty of phones, darling."

"Rebekah called?" I ask him, getting angry that he didn't tell me.

"In all fairness, it could've been Nik and I don't have the patience to deal with him at the moment," he says with his arm raised in defense, to which I nod since it is possible for Klaus to use Rebekah's phone as a decoy. "I'll call Rebekah tomorrow, make sure it's her and then I'll put her on, given the fact that you don't seem ready to talk to Klaus."

"No, I'm not," I sigh as I stare at nothing in particular while thinking of Klaus. "I'll think about talking to him, but I'm not sure."

"None of that on this night," he says as he tips my head up by my chin with his fingers to lock eyes with me. "This night is ours. Let's worry about everyone else tomorrow." I smile and nod at him in agreement. "I do need you to do me a favor. Well, you don't have a choice." I frown at him with a small smile on my lips. "I need you to wear this." He lifts his hand with a big napkin in it.

"What?" I ask since I am confused as to what he wants.

"You need to be blindfolded," he says, earning an annoyed look from me. "Humor me, darling."

I sigh deeply, hoping that I won't regret this when I say, "Fine."

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><p>"Can I take it off now?" I ask for the umpteenth time, waiting for Kol to take off the blindfold from my eyes.<p>

I don't know how long I've been blindfolded, but I am getting quite tired of it as I stand where Kol told me to, trying to hear anything that might tell me where I am. I was quite annoyed that I had to be blindfolded from the apartment to the car and so on. From wherever we arrived to, I can tell I am on some wood and outside because of the sounds and the lack of people that I don't feel. I can even hear the sound of running water, but I am not sure.

"Kol, I swear that I will kill you before you kill me and dump me somewhere," I say with a low chuckle as I continue to try to figure out where I am while I hear him chuckle, the volume telling me that he is in front of me. "I am quite serious, Mikaelson."

"Trust me, if I were to kill you, I would have done it by now, don't you think?" he says as he cups my cheeks, tilting my head a bit upward to where his face might be since he is taller than me. "And you are kind of dead." I smack his arm playfully. "You wound me, darling."

"Can I take this blindfold off now?" I ask, getting annoyed with my lack of visibility. "I'd like to wipe off that smirk off you face."

I hear him chuckle and his hands move up to the back of my head, beginning to untie the blindfold that he had gently wrapped over my eyes before we left the hotel. I smile when the blindfold is finally off me, slowly opening my eyes to meet Kol's smirking face. I smile up at him before looking at my surroundings, not believing what I'm seeing.

"You didn't," I say as I look around the front deck of the boat cruise we're on, watching as the boat begins to move on the river.

I am literally speechless with wide eyes and hanging mouth, staring at the passing buildings and the multiple lights that are lighting our path on the river. I go over to the railing of the front of the boat, the wind blowing my hair as the boat picks up speed while I watch the scandalizing view around me as we travel on the river. I turn to Kol with a wide smile, noticing the dinner table behind him with two seats, two waiters and a little band with instruments that are composed of four men. We literally have the boat to ourselves, which is a beautiful white ship, the captain's cabin at the top and stairs that lead to the rest of the ship.

"Kol, this is…" I begin as I go over to him, not quite processing things just yet while he grins widely. "You didn't have to."

"Yes, I do," he says as he grabs my hand in his calloused ones that are filled with warmth while rubbing the back of my hand with his thumbs, the only thing cold about him being his daylight ring. "I'm doing this because I want to. I want to keep seeing that smile on your lips. It's strange for me. I've never in my thousand years imagine that I'd sought the smile of another." He takes a loose strand of my hair out of my face and tucks it behind my ear. "You can't even imagine the internal battle within me. You bring out emotions I have never needed after turning into a vampire, not until now and I am not going to fight them."

"As long as they're real," I begin, "I have no problem reciprocating."

"Oh, they're real," he says with a flirty smirk.

"Good," I whisper with a smile, placing a kiss on his cheek as he grabs my hand and leads me over to the table that has red tablecloth over it, almost touching the floor of the boat.

"Here you are, darling," he says as he pulls back my chair and I sit on it, smiling at him gratefully.

"Merci, bon mon monsieur," I say, earning a quick peck on my neck, to which I giggle from the contact of his lips on my neck before Kol takes his own seat after putting his jacket on the back of the seat.

"Le plaisir est pour moi, ma dame," he says with a smirk as the waiters place napkins on our laps before filling two glasses with red wine and handing it to both of us.

"This is fancy," I say as I decide to play along with the drinks and food, even though I won't taste them. "How many people did you compel or pay?"

"A couple," he answers as he takes a sip from his glass while I do the same. "And I compelled."

"Thought so," I say as the musicians begin to play a soft tune, glancing at them with a smile while I simply enjoy the whole thing. "What river are we on?"

"The Seine," Kol answers while I nod in acknowledgement. "Would you like anything, darling?"

I frown at him since he knows that I don't eat, but I notice that he's actually thinking about what I want if I were alive. "What do they have here?"

Kol shrugs. "Anything you want."

I open my mouth to answer, eager to ask for something that I really want to try but I close my mouth as a thought comes to mind. I don't find point to try something if I cannot taste it, especially something that I would just love to try. I will never be able to share experiences like this with anyone, and I know Kol would love to do them with me but I can't. I know he means well, but I can't help but feel depressive about it all. My solemn look causes Kol to frown at me, to which I manage a rather small smile but it doesn't convince him.

"Gwen?" I hear Kol ask with distress in his tone, his frown deepening while I frown at his distress.

"What?" I ask as he reaches over to me and wipes his thumb under my eye. I frown when I see it wet. I'm crying. "I didn't…" I wipe away any moist I might still have, making sure it's all gone. "Sorry about that."

"What's wrong, darling?" he asks me, his face composed but the concern is in his eyes. I glance uncomfortably at the waiters, not liking how they hover next to us, even if it's their job. Kol notices this and turns to them. "Vous pouvez prendre votre congé, messieurs." The waiters nod at Kol with a polite smile before turning to take their leave. "Vous pouvez laisser le vin et porter quelque chose plus fort lorsque vous êtes en mesure." The waiters nod at him with polite smiles before leaving the wine on the table and taking their leave while I continue to listen to the soft tune the musicians are playing a little away from our table. Kol turns to me. "Care to share?"

"I ruined tonight, didn't I?" I ask, knowing that he must've gone through a bit trouble to plan this whole thing. "I'm sorry."

"Things don't always go as we plan them and I don't mind," he says with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders. "What's wrong?"

"The dinner," I say, knowing that it's not enough as an explanation and I turn to him with a bitter smile. "I just…I wish I could taste the things you planned for us. I wish I could but I can't and it is so depressing and frustrating. And I just want to share it with you, but I can't."

"Do you know what I miss about being human?" he asks, causing me to frown at him.

"What?" I ask.

"Don't you dare tell a soul," he says, pointing an accusatory finger at me and giving me wary eyes.

I nod. "I promise."

He sighs as he reaches for his glass and takes a sip from his wine, clicking his tongue as he gulps it down. "How close my family was." I frown at this while he swirls the wine. "Granted, we all had our bickering and favorites, but we were close; closer than we are now. No bloodlust, no drama, no immortality, no daggering, just a family." I stare at him while he continues eyeing the wine in his glass, lost in thought. I can't help but notice how human he seems, for it is so plainly there. "We were happy, even with the secrets. I miss our outings together the most, all of us together, even our parents." I sigh, smiling at the fact that he shared that with me. "We vampires can replace such cravings for things that are no more. We all lose things. You, as a ghost, got the brunt of it and I wish you hadn't."

I smile at him as he looks up at me with a smile, genuine smile. "Thank you, for sharing. I may miss a lot of things about being alive, but I won't miss anything more than my family." I take a deep breath, keeping myself steady before I share with Kol something that I have never talked about, not even with Klaus. "It was my birthday, the day I died."

"Gwen, you don't have to—"

"I want to. I haven't talked about this, ever; not even with Nik, but he kind of already knew without me needing to tell him," I cut him off, smiling at him as he looks at me with soft eyes while gripping my hand in his. "My father's name was Richard and he married my mother, Sienna. They both had me first and seven years later came my little sister, Willow." My voice almost breaks as I mention every name of my family, especially my sister's. "We were at home, celebrating my birthday." I smile at the memory as my chest gets heavier. "I wanted to have a lazy birthday, watching movies, playing games and anything else that came to mind. Willow and I had a craving for ice cream and we didn't have any, so Dad opted to go get ice cream. Willow and I were adamant to go because we loved it so much." I can feel my eyes welling up with tears at the laughter of my sister still ringing in my ears.

"You loved your family above all else," he says and I take this time compose myself, turning to look at the table mindlessly.

"I loved them so much," I exhale through a lump in my throat. "We left the house as we were. I remember my sister had her pajamas on but she didn't care." I chuckle at this, noticing the small quirk on the corner of his lips. "My Dad was driving, my Mom was next to him, and Willow sat behind my father's seat while I sat behind Mom. We had gotten the ice cream. I had—don't laugh," I say with a pointed look towards Kol, who has a small smirk on his lips, "I had some chocolate ice cream with brownies inside and chocolate syrup." Kol almost spits the sip of his wine out when I finished, causing me to chuckle at his astounded look directed towards me.

"That didn't kill you?" he asks me, causing me to continue to chuckle at this.

"No, and I had a bit of an addiction with chocolate," I say sheepishly as a waiter brings a bottle that is probably the stronger alcohol Kol had asked for before he leaves once more.

"You don't say," he says with wide eyes in amazement, to which I chuckle.

"Can I get back to the story and then you can patronize me about my former addictions?" I ask him, my amusement dampened as he composes himself, nodding at me to continue. "My sister had vanilla ice cream with nuts mixed in and caramel syrup on top. My Dad had the same as me while my Mom had the same as my sister."

"A bunch of loons," Kol mutters, earning a playful smack on his arm from me, feigning hurt as he rubs it.

"We were on our way back home," I begin once more. "Willow and I were almost done with our ice creams, even when our mother told us to wait but we were having too much of a good time to listen. We were all singing to 'Carry On My Wayward Son'." I take a deep breath to steady myself, gripping Kol's hand tighter, knowing that the next part is one I wish to forget. I feel him squeeze back and I can only smile at this. "We stopped at a red light. Willow and I were still singing while teasing our Mom and Dad for kissing, which they did on purpose. The light turned green and my Dad went forward." I pause at this, a lump growing in my throat as my eyes well up in tears. "The next thing I know, I'm hanging upside-down, still strapped to the car. Willow was crying, saying that she hurt everywhere and neither of my parents was moving, just hanging there. I couldn't feel anything. I tried to calm down Willow, but she just kept crying and I knew she was in pain. I just wanted to reach her and tell her everything would be all right. I ached all over and I could barely breathe; it was like being constricted. I tried keeping my eyes open, but I couldn't and the last thing I saw was my sister, crying. Then, I see Nik at the side of my hospital bed."

This time I know I have tears running down my cheeks, trying to keep my sobs in. I let go of Kol's hand and begin wiping the tears off my cheeks, releasing soft sobs and trying to stifle them. I avoid looking at Kol with my puffy, red eyes. I take my hands away from my eyes, surprised to find Kol standing next to me, offering me a hand for me to take with a small smile on his lips; I find that I like his smiles more than his cocky smirks or his cheeky grins. I smile at it before taking it, squeaking in surprise when he hoists me up to my feet. He takes one of my hands in his while his other hand goes around my waist. I place my free hand around his shoulder as we begin to sway to the slow song the musicians are playing. I place my cheek on his shoulder with my face almost hiding in his neck.

"If we're sharing, I might as well contribute," he says while I sigh into his neck, gripping his shoulder tighter. "I was having the most wonderful time with my family the night I died and turned into a vampire. We had so many problems that trailed behind us. Nik and Elijah fought over the Petrova, Tatia. I had my problems with Jen. And we were all still grieving the death of Henrik."

I frown, remembering that name that Klaus scarcely mentioned. "Your younger brother."

"Yes," he says, his voice lacking much emotion. "His death was devastation upon my family. I blamed Klaus for his death, for not protecting our brother. I even wished that death had taken him and not Henrik. But I still found myself forgiving him, even though I never told him. Henrik's death and Jen's betrayal only caused for everything to break around me." I let go of his hand and wrap it around his neck while his goes to around my upper back as we continue to sway to the music. "I couldn't believe that my own father had driven a sword through my heart or that my own mother enforced it. Everything was cold when I woke up, not an ounce of warmth to ward it off, except for the euphoria that blood brought within me."

"Look at us," I say into his shoulder, watching the buildings and monuments pass by as the boat continues to go along the river, "two broken beings."

I feel him smirk into my shoulder. "I didn't think this would turn into a pity party."

"Hey," I say as I pull back to stare up at him. "I love this. I do. I'm just sorry I ruined it and whatever else you had planned."

"No, this is better than pretending, my Darling Lass," he says, my heart fluttering at his nickname. "We just need some getting used to."

"We have eternity for that," I say, "if you still want me in it."

He genuinely smiles at me with those brown eyes that I love. "For now," he says with a playful smirk before his lips descend on mine.

The kiss is gentle but it turns hungrier by the second as Kol cups one side of my head to keep me in place, as of drawing comfort from me. He roughly deepens the kiss as I sigh into him. This is what I love about Kol; he's gentle at first but gradually grows more confident and more himself. I return his kiss as fervently as I can while I grip tighter onto him, ignoring everything around me, everything that was and everything that will be. Nothing matters to me at this very moment but him. And I cannot help but _love him_.

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><p><strong>There we are and if there is anything wrong in my French, well, forgive me. I'm a bit rusty. I hope you guys liked or loved it, I prefer it to be the latter lol. Remember to review, Follow or Favorite! Whichever one you'd like!<strong>

**English to French Translation (remember, I'm a bit rusty):**

**_Oui, bien sûr je parle Français!_-Yes, of course I speak French!**

**_Je ne suis pas seulement un joli visage._-I am not just a pretty face.**

**_Je ne vous arrive donc à parler Français moi-même._-I do so happen to speak French myself.**

**_Vous n'êtes plus qu'à pleine de surprises, mon chéri._-You're just full of surprises, my darling.**

**_Retour à vous._-Right back at you.**

**_Je l'ai dit, la flatterie vous mènera nulle part, Monsieur Mikaelson._-I said, flattery will get you nowhere, Mister Mikaelson.**

**_Merci, mon bon monsieur._-Thank you good sir.**

**_Le plaisir est pour moi, ma dame._-The pleasure is all mine, my lady.**

**_Vous pouvez prendre votre congé, messieurs._-You may take your leave, gentlemen.**

**_Vous pouvez laisser le vin et porter quelque chose plus fort lorsque vous êtes en mesure._-You may leave the wine and bring something stronger when you're able.**

**Well, there ya have it and she loves him or thinks she does! Woohoo! I hope you enjoyed and leave your opinions and thoughts behind to have you guys inspire me and to keep me going with this story.**

**See ya later!**


	8. Chapter 7

**Hey! Finally, I am free and with time to spare to have a good layout of this story since I am still edgy on where I want to take it. Thanks for the support and I hope you guys enjoy as always!**

**Remember, nothing of the Vampire Diaries belongs to me. Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 7<strong>

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><p>A morning during autumn in Paris is positively beautiful, especially with the view I have. I can see the Eiffel Tower, standing tall as Paris' most memorable monument, not that it's the only one. The sky is a bit cloudy with the wind strong while leaves of different shades of brown are coating every tree that I lay my eyes on. I also know that they will soon be lacking them when winter comes, sweeping them away with the cold wind, but that won't be happening for a while.<p>

I frown while releasing a sigh as I stare out into the morning, sitting on one of the armchairs on the terrace of the room Kol and I are staying, finding that Paris has only complicated things for me, even though I completely love it. I have my feet up against my chest while hugging them with my hands. My clothes had reverted back to their usual style during the night after Kol had gone to sleep, tired from our outing to the river Seine while I stared up at the ceiling all night; our outing having happened the night after yesterday. I am only glad Kol hadn't questioned my lack of contribution to the conversations, glad that we had only watched television yesterday and he was more engrossed in it than anything.

I would have talked to Rebekah about this when I called her yesterday, but it's a bit difficult since he is her brother and Kol could've heard me. Besides, she was too engrossed in her lecture about me running off without telling her, threatening me to not make it my thing and to stop doing it. We also comforted one another in response to Klaus' treatment of her and his words about me, not receiving much support from Kol, who was insulting Klaus and his 'tyrannical ways' as he put it. In the end, I promised to visit her when Kol and I decided it was fit to return to Mystic Falls or any state of the United States.

Thinking about Kol, I am brought back to our night at the Seine, which only causes my heart to slightly clench. I can't believe I'm falling in love with an Original vampire that might not ever feel the same about me. There's a difference between liking a person and wanting to be close to them, and being in love with them, Kol belonging to the former. He has said so himself that he isn't one to feel certain emotions that have only brought him complications, and I'm sure that love is one of them. My heart only beats harder in its shallow beat at the mere thought of loving Kol. I can't exactly tell him since I am not _entirely_ sure I am in love with him. I just know I love him, which is different from being _in love_ with someone.

I sigh once more as I rub my face, disliking the throbbing in my head as I try to keep the feelings at bay, at least for a little while until I manage to calm myself down. I groan in annoyance at my dilemma, which would not be so complicated if I were to love a human or something much more simple than an _Original vampire_. And not just any Original vampire, but Kol Mikaelson, who has tried to kill me and succeeded once, even though we've moved on from all of that. I do accept that I love Kol like I would Klaus but differently; I'm just not sure if I am in love with this man.

I take a deep breath and forget my thoughts about Kol for the moment, even if it's going to be difficult. I run my hand through my hair, pushing it back as I stand up from the chair, wringing my hands nervously as I make my way back inside the apartment. I frown when I find Kol's phone on the coffee table, but shrug it off as I pick it up. I smile as I look around the apartment, making sure nobody is here, even though it is quite doubtful. I go over to the radio that Kol had asked for and I connect the phone to it after hesitating on picking a certain song for me to listen. I hesitate as I hold my finger over the button that would start the song, but I shrug it off before pressing it.

I begin to bob my head along with the song, raising the volume to an acceptable level that it's loud but won't bother anyone from outside the room. I begin to sway to the song with a smile on my lips, loving this alone time that I have for myself. I jump up on the coffee table, continuing to sway to the song. I open my mouth and start singing,

"_Carry on my wayward son_

_There'll be peace when you are done_

_Lay your weary head to rest_

_Don't you cry no more_"

I begin to sway more wildly, keeping up with the tune of the song as I chuckle at myself. I can't count the amount of times that Klaus has caught me doing this, but I dismiss it in embarrassment at having been caught, which only happens when I am too into the song. The lyrics are about to come and I open my mouth once more to sing,

"_Once I rose above the noise and confusion_

_Just to get a glimpse beyond this illusion_

_I was soaring ever higher_

_But I flew too high_"

I start jumping from both sofas around the coffee table and back, swaying to the song as best as I can and keeping myself from falling over. I even pretend to play the guitar in the song, even though I know I am doing a horrible job at it. I open my mouth on the best part, singing,

"_Though my eyes could see, I still was a blind man_

_Though my mind could think, I still was a mad man_

_I hear the voices when I'm dreaming_

_I can hear them say_

_Carry on my wayward son_

_There'll be peace when you are done_

_Lay your weary head to rest_

_Don't you cry no more_"

I laugh out loud, feeling better as I continue to dance all around the living room without a care in the world. My troubles forgotten for this moment, loving the escape as I let the song engulf me completely before continuing to sing,

"_Masquerading as a man with a reason_

_My charade is the event of the season_

_And if I claim to be a wise man, well_

_It surely means that I don't know_

_On a stormy sea of moving emotion_

_Tossed about, I'm like a ship on the ocean_

_I set a course for winds of fortune_

_But I hear the voices say_

_Carry on my wayward son_

_There'll be peace when you are done_

_Lay your weary head to rest_

_Don't you cry no more_

_No!_"

I continue to sing on the coffee table, ignoring everything around me and just loving the song that has reduced the stress of my troubling thoughts, having swept them away for the time being. I swing my hips as I open my mouth to finish the song, yelping when I hear the door being shut and turning to find Kol smirking as he leans against the wall, my face going completely red at his return from having gone for a 'snack'. _Damn,_ I think to myself.

I carefully step down from the coffee table, avoiding Kol's face as I go over to the radio, turning the music off and causing silence to take hold of the whole room before turning to find Kol in the same place with the ever present smirk on his face. I only wanted to smack it off his face as I nervously stand still, wringing my wrists.

I decide to be brave and ask, "How much did you see?"

He chuckles. "Enough. If you want the exact moment I began to watch you rock those gorgeous hips, which would be when you started pretending to play guitar."

"Oh," I manage to say, my nerves on end from the embarrassment. "That's embarrassing, let's never talk about this again."

"Come now, darling," he says as I begin to make my way out to the terrace. "I thought it was endearing."

I turn to give him an annoyed look. "You were not supposed to see me like that."

"Being wild and free?" he asks me with a smirk while I groan in annoyance, dropping down on the armchair I was previously occupying before I decided to start dancing and making a fool out of myself in front of Kol. "Do you want to know what I really think?"

"Not really, no," I say, to which he chuckles before grabbing my hand to pull me out of the chair and sit down on it before bringing me down to sit on his lap.

"I'm just going to be honest and say you were spectacular," he says with a grin while I hide my face into his shoulder, not wanting to be subjected to his sarcasm while he strokes my thigh and wraps the other arm around my shoulders. I merely keep my hands on my lap. "On a more serious note, I thought you were quite carefree. You seemed to have gone back in time to when you were blissfully happy and I enjoyed that."

"I hate how smooth you are with words," I whisper into his shoulder, to which he chuckles wholeheartedly.

"I'm taking that as a compliment," he says with a nod, placing a kiss on my temple. "It's good to know you don't get bored when I'm gone."

"I do get bored," I say as I raise my head to face him. "You just arrive at the right time before things really do get drastic."

"You're feeling better," he says, to which I frown.

"What do you mean?"

"You were quiet during all of yesterday and this morning," he says, which is partly true. "I thought you were still thinking about our night on the Seine."

"I'm fine," I say, which is also partly true since my feelings for him will only make things more complicated for me in the future. "I was just thinking a lot."

"About?" he asks, not wanting to lie to him but I know I can't tell him the whole truth.

"You and me," I say and he tightens his hands on me while he frowns. "It's nothing bad, Kol." His grip on me lessens as he sighs. "I was only thinking that I still ruined the night but I enjoyed myself a lot. And I want to thank you for it."

"You don't have to thank me, darling," he says. "I'm comfortable with your other methods of thanking me." I smack his chest, to which he chuckles. "It's true."

"Aren't you a cheeky thing?" I say as I become lost in his eyes while placing a hand on his cheek. "Had a good 'snack'?"

He shrugs. "You can say that." He takes the hand I have on his cheek, bringing my palm to his mouth before placing a kiss on it. I notice the hunger in his eyes as he takes a sharp intake of air, which I notice, even though he tries to hide it with a smirk. "She was a bit feisty."

"You're still hungry," I point out, receiving a shake of his head while I tilt mine knowingly. "Kol, I can tell, there's no need to hide it from me."

"I'm fine," he says as he stands up from the chair, taking his warmth with him and leaving me in the cold as he goes to stand by the railing.

I sigh, knowing that he's too stubborn to admit that he is not all right and will continue to do so, which is why I'll have to drag it out of him. I stand up and go over to him, standing next to him while leaning on the railing as he gazes out at the view and I gaze at him, not bothered by the fact that I may appear creepy.

"Kol, I know you're not all right," I say as he avoids looking at me while I stare at him. "My blood is affecting you too much and you have to tell me so I can help."

"How can you?" he asks as he whips his face to me, his eyes bloodshot from his vampiric face. "I can only think about ripping your throat open and drain you dry. It's the only thing I think when I kiss you, touch you or have you anywhere close to me." He shakes his head before looking over the railing once more, his face human once more. "I feel like a bloody baby vampire."

"I think I can help with that," I say, for I am not sure if he'll be willing to go through with my plan to have him get used to being around my blood. He turns to me with a crinkled forehead. "Let me talk without interrupting or judgy looks, okay?" He nods a bit hesitantly. "I was thinking that there might be a way for you to get used to being near my blood constantly. What do you think about drinking from me every day?"

He looks at me with a bewildered look. "What?"

"Just a couple of sips," I say hurriedly before he starts arguing me about it. "I think it can work."

"Gwen, I am not going to drink from you," he says with a hard look. "I doubt I'll stop and I'll end up killing you."

"You'll stop, I know you will," I say as he runs a hand through his hair before releasing a deep sigh.

"Gwen, no," he says firmly.

"It's difficult for you to be around me, Kol," I argue. "It doesn't have to if you get used to it. This way, we don't have to worry about you losing control. Besides, what would happen if I get hurt and I'm bleeding?"

"You'll heal," he says with a shrug, causing me to groan in annoyance at him missing the point.

"Kol, I think we should do this," I say while he sighs, his face devoid of emotion.

"Has anyone drunk from you?" he asks with a frown, causing me to frown at his question.

"No," I say with furrowed brows, "no one, except you. Why?"

"Because if I am going to even think about following through with your plan," he says as he turns to me, his face serious but not in a bad way, "I'd rather know I'm the only one who is to drink from you."

Shivers go down my spine at the intensity in his eyes while I gulp. "Is that a vampire thing?"

He smirks. "It's just that I will rip anyone apart who has ever or will ever drink from you. Not to be an arse, but you're _mine_ and I'd rather keep it that way."

I nod, actually finding his possessiveness attractive as I take one of his hands in mine, never taking my eyes away from his. I find that the tone he is using to say that I am his is not him being a jerk or chauvinistic, but more along the lines that I am his as much as he is mine. I actually have an urge to jump on him and kiss him all over, which is taking quite a lot of strength from me to not do so but I'd rather not embarrass myself.

"I'll think about your proposal," he says as I we both lean into each other, our faces inches away from the other. "I'll give you an answer after dinner tonight."

I nod absentmindedly as we both don't pay attention to his words. "Dinner?"

"I made reservations," he says as he buries a hand into my hair, his eyes hungry and primal.

"It's for tonight, right?" I ask as his lips brush against mine, our breaths mingling as he nods. "What do we do while we wait?"

He smirks. "I can think of a few things."

His lips crash over mine, causing me to yelp in surprise as he grabs the back of my knees and hoists me up. My legs wrap around his waist automatically while I chuckle against his mouth and he grins before our lips move against one another. My hands go to his hair as he walks us back to the apartment to kill some time by sharing as many kisses as we can, at least as much as we can before his hunger for my blood gets the best of him and he has to pull away.

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><p>"I can't believe we only have tomorrow before we have to go to Italy," I say from my seat at the restaurant that Kol picked to have dinner.<p>

It's a very cozy restaurant with very soft music in the background, letting people have their conversations. Our table is outside and, like the rest, secluded but near a rose bush with a dim light in the middle of the table. The table has a white tablecloth over it with two roses laced around the cylinder where the light is. The other source of light comes from the restaurant that is next to us, but not too close that it's uncomfortable since it has huge windows that displays the inside of the restaurant and the outside to the customers that are inside.

Tonight, my clothes are the same as they usually are; the gray leggings that are cropped and the cardy ugg boots that are cream. Instead of my white tank top and my cream cardigan, I'm wearing a cream, boxy, button-front cardigan. My necklace is always in place around my neck without fault, which is the only thing that doesn't change about me. My hair is braided to my side, falling over my shoulder.

"Which would you like to visit first?" Kol asks me and I frown at him, he chuckles at my frown before elaborating. "After some time has passed, which would you like to visit first, London or Paris?"

"Paris," quickly answer with my hands on the table, Kol having finished his dinner, so we're just chatting. "I love this place." I look around, even loving something as simple as the streets, made of cobblestone. "I hope we can stay longer next time."

"We will," he says as I return my eyes to his. "The reason I didn't explore more is because I want to take my time here with you since you clearly loved this city. I'll even take you to the top of the Eiffel Tower if that is your wish."

"Really?" I ask with an excited smile, receiving a tilt from him while he smirks. "That would be perfect." I notice he hasn't talked much, appearing to be in deep thought, which worries me. I can't think of a reason to be like this, so I ask, "Are you all right?" He frowns at me in question, causing me to chuckle at our reversed roles. "And you said I was quiet."

"Just thinking, darling," he says with a small grin, but I continue to frown at him questioningly and he notices this. "I'm fine."

"Kol," I begin, "I can be really annoying when I want to. You can talk to me, you know."

He sighs before taking a sip from his glass of scotch. "It's about you."

"More so that you talk to me," I say, to which he chuckles while I smile at him. "What's up?"

"What would you say about being able to come back to life?" he asks, his words causing me to stiffen with wide eyes.

"What are you talking about?"

He leans closer to me, leaning on the table. "I'm saying that I am good with witches. I hold them in high esteem. I can work something out and bring you back."

"No."

He frowns; jerking is head back in bewilderment. "What?"

"I would love nothing more than to come back, Kol," I begin as I take a deep breath, not that I need it, "but I can't come back." He frowns at me. "Do you think Nik hasn't tried? We tried a couple times."

"What happened?" asks Kol, his eyes solely on me.

"We went to witches that Klaus knew," I begin. "One tried to bring me back by sheer power, but she bled to death through her eyes, mouth and ears. Another tried transferring me to another body, but he was left in a coma. There was another that tried bringing me back through Dark magic and tying me to an object, but she died the moment that she uttered the first words of the spell."

"Have any of them tried using any other form of magic?" he asks, but I shook my head with a questioning look. "I know of one, which is a form of magic that transcends between science and spirit. It's a type of magic that creates cursed objects and replaces an element with another. A bit hard to master, but it can be possible to bring you back through it."

"It can't," I say, causing him to frown and he is about to protest. "It doesn't matter what type of magic or whatever, it can't be possible. Neither the Spirits nor nature will allow it. They rather kill their own than let me come back. Why do you think witches hate me so much? It's not only because I'm a freak of nature, it's because I upset balance and they won't have it."

"We can try," he insists and I rapidly shake my head.

"I don't want to but I'd love to, but I don't want to be subjected to it," I say as I take on of his hands in both of mine, stroking his knuckles as I keep my eyes on his. "I love that you'd try to bring me back, but you have no idea what happens to me every time I try." His grip on my hand tightens, urging me on. I hesitate, not wanting to remember the pure darkness that I had witnessed.

"What happened?" he asks me and I push away the tightening of my chest, which is out of fear as goosebumps go through my skin. "Gwen?"

"I always saw this huge darkness, like an endless abyss. It tried to take me in and it was so cold; I actually felt my heart stop. This happened two times and I would've been sucked in, if it wasn't for Nik," I explain, retelling what happened in few words since I don't want to go into detail about what happened. "I may want to come back to life more than anything in the world, but I won't risk ending up in oblivion. Promise me you'll never try, Kol." He sighs, glancing around before nodding. "Kol, please, promise me."

He sighs heavily before turning back to me with a small smile. "You have my word."

"Thank you," I say before laying my head on his shoulder and he places his cheek on my head. The waiter comes over with the check in hand. He is a man with dark, short hair and has growing stubble on his chin, his eyes a hazel color and appearing to be in his thirties. Before he opens his mouth, Kol stands up in front of him, their eyes locking. "**Vous êtes pour nous donner le dîner sur la maison, mon bon monsieur. Après ce qui a été trié, vous pouvez oublier que vous nous avez jamais vu.**"

"Bien sûr, Monsieur Mikaelson," says the waiter before turning around and going back to the restaurant, compelled to give us the dinner for free and not to remember us.

"You could've paid," I say as Kol grins at me while putting on his coat, taking my hand and helping me out of my seat before I loop my hand around his arm.

"I know," he says with a smirk as we begin walking. I frown as we come to the sidewalk, feeling a heavy weight on me as if eyes were watching my every move. I stop in my tracks as I turn around, looking for anyone watching us. "Darling?" I turn to Kol, who also stopped with a frown. "Everything all right?"

I glance back, seeing civilians walking along the sidewalk, but not finding any evidence of having eyes on me before turning back to Kol with a dismissive smile. "It's nothing. I think Nik's paranoia is passing on to me."

He chuckles. "Trust me, darling, you'll need a hell of a lot more temper issues for that to happen. And you have to be a stock up pillock."

"Don't be mean, Kol," I chastise him. "I may be mad at Nik but that doesn't mean you can throw insults at him."

"He deserves it," he argues as we continue to walk along the sidewalk, "and not just for upsetting you. I loathe him for daggering me all those times, robbing me of having a good time and many more indiscretions."

"How many times were you daggered?" I ask him.

He hums with a pensive look on his face. "I'd say about five times."

"Why?" I ask him and don't use an accusatory tone since I have no reason to. "What was so bad that you ended up daggered?"

"No accusation?" he asks, raising an eyebrow at me, to which I shrug.

"Why?" I ask. "Did you do something wrong?"

He smiles at me, causing my heart to flutter at whatever he must be thinking to have put that smile on his face. "The first time was by some hunters. It was the first time I was daggered and it was like dying all over again."

"That's one, so not your fault," I say.

"The second time, I believe, was in 1702," he says, smirking. "It was in Cadiz, Spain. I should take you there, it's a lovely place."

"What happened?" I ask.

"Granted, I might have been the cause for our unexpected departure," he says with a frown while I wait for him to continue. "My youthful adventures might've brought Mikael to us. I didn't want to run, so I defied Niklaus."

"He daggered you for not wanting to leave with you all?" I ask, frowning since I find it wrong to rob someone of their life like that, even if it was the easy way to deal with it. Klaus's daggering his siblings will forever be the only thing that I hate about him. Still, I find that doing things the easy way will never resolve anything. "What about Mikael? What if he killed you?"

He huffs. "I would've managed. There was no reason for them to dagger me."

"I didn't say there was," I say, appeasing him when I notice his angry tone. He turns to me and nods apologetically. "There's never a reason for that. Well, unless you're a complete psycho of pure evilness."

He chuckles. "Let's leave the daggering stories for another time, darling. We'll have enough time for those."

* * *

><p>Gazing at Paris at night must be one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen in my life; alive and dead. I simply stand at the terrace of our apartment, leaning on the railing and taking in the view while Kol is taking a shower. Watching Paris during the night I like having the stars on the ground, but they do not compare to the ones on the sky. I grab my necklace and play with it, engrossed in what has captivated me completely. I never dreamed I'd be able to do these things, not while I was dead, but I was wrong. Still, Kol and I have only begun our trip, so more fun is still down the road.<p>

I want to really live, even if I'm dead. I want to live as best as I can, for I don't know how long I have. I can disappear right here and now and no one will know the better. My status as a ghost has troubled me before, but what troubles me most is the fact that I don't know if I'm permanent or not, which leads me to believe that there must be something for me to accomplish or I would have died six years ago.

I perk up at another presence behind me, not too deep in my thoughts or excitement to not notice this time. "Has anyone told you that staring is creepy?"

"I'm admiring," I hear Kol say, to which I grin as I feel him approach me, coming to stand next to me with our shoulders touching. "I don't like how you always manage to make me sound like a creep."

"You're not?" I ask, turning to him with a teasing grin, which he returns with a playful glare. "Could've fooled me."

He sniggers. "What about you?" I frown at him as he continues to smirk. "I know you stare at me while I sleep and don't try to deny it because I know you do."

"I don't stare," I say, trying to come up with something but coming up with nothing, prompting me to say, "I admire."

"Oh, I bet you do," he says sarcastically before we both laugh, our laughter mingling before it dies down, a comfortable silence falling on us as we gaze at the view we have. "Darling?" I hum, leaning my head on his shoulder. "Does your offer still stand?"

I frown before looking up at him as he continues to gaze out into the night, purposely avoiding my eyes. "What do you mean?"

"I thought about your solution to my addiction to your blood," he says, causing me to straighten up at this since I'd want nothing more than to help him.

"And?" I encourage, making him look over to me, his face stoic.

"If we do this, I have my own set of rules," he says with raised eyebrows in warning, to which I nod for him to continue. "I'll…drink from you, but I need you to not hesitate in doing whatever you can to get me off, if I get out of control." I nod as he sighs, clearly disliking this but it's for the best. "You will rest after every time I feed from you."

"I don't need to," I argue, with no intention to ignite an argument and he knows this.

"Humor me," he says, to which I nod in agreement. "Also, I'll be judge of the time of my feedings. I don't want it to be a regular thing I will do every day."

"Okay," I say with a nod. "Anything else?"

"You decide when we start and," he says, raising a finger at me, "most importantly, you will tell me when to stop. And it better not be before the last drop is gone, understood?" I nod, giving him a salute to lighten the mood, which it doesn't. "Good."

"How about we start now?" I ask, not surprising him since he seems to have seen this coming.

"You're sure?" he asks.

I nod. "I'm sure."

"It might be different this time," he says, his face predatory as he comes to stand behind me and his hands go to my waist while his breath hits the back of my neck.

"How?" I ask, feeling the pleasant turning of my stomach at his close proximity.

"You'll see," he says as he moves the hair from one side of my neck before he starts peppering it with light kisses, causing me to sigh as I lean back against him.

His hands have a firm and gentle hold on my waist while mine are over them. His kisses go up and down my throat, bringing warmth from within me as my eyes involuntarily close. I tilt my head a bit to the side to give him better access, continuing to sigh in pleasure while loving the feel of his lips on my skin. One of his hands takes mine in his, stroking it before bringing it up. I take that hand and reach back to tangle it in his hair with his hand still over mine, causing him to growl against my skin, which makes my skin vibrate. His hand's hold on my waist tightens. He places one last heated kiss below my ear before he takes my hand from his hair and kisses my palm, causing me to frown as I glance at him over my shoulder.

"What are you doing?" I ask, a bit out of breath as he places slow and deep kisses from my palm to my wrist.

"I am having my girl for dinner," he says with a grin as he continues to kiss my wrist, his teeth gracing my skin. That is when I notice he isn't drinking from my neck, but from my wrist.

"I thought you'd go for the neck," I say, keeping myself nestled in his embrace as he continues his ministrations on my wrist.

"Not tonight," he whispers against my skin, noticing his vampiric features taking hold. Never would I have thought that being fed on would be so exhilarating, erotic or any of the sort. I actually _want_ him to bite me. "We'll save that for another night."

I only hum in affirmation, gasping when his fangs puncture my skin, his lips falling on my skin as he slowly sucks my blood. It's a bit painful at first, but the pain is replaced by rather strong waves of pleasure that reverberate throughout my body from my wrist. _This is what he meant,_ I think, remembering his earlier words about it being different. I moan as I begin to become lightheaded, deciding that it's enough.

"Kol," I say, tugging at the arm he's biting into to let him know that he's had enough as his fangs sink deeper into my skin, knowing that he's close to losing control. "Kol, darlin', that's enough!"

He pulls away with a sigh and a euphoric grin on his lips. I stare at his vampiric face, not finding it repulsive but interesting and just _him_. He has a trickle of my blood going down from the corner of his lips. I lean heavier against him as he leans back into my wrist, licking the remaining blood from it before wiping the blood from his chin and licking it off his thumb. My wrist throbs a bit, feeling it go numb but it's not painful. His attention goes to me.

"See?" I say, giving him a small smile. "We're fine."

He grins at me, leaning his forehead against mine as I lean back against him with his arms around my waist and mine over his. While he smirks at me, I can only smile in return, knowing that we have a ways to go from now on.

"Did you just call me 'darlin''?"

* * *

><p><strong>And that is it! I hope you guys liked this chapter and leave your thoughts after you guys are done because I am having a break to sort things out, so please inspire me, darlings!<strong>

**Engish to French Translation (Remember, I am a bit rusty):**

_****Vous êtes pour nous donner le dîner sur la maison, mon bon monsieur.****_****-You are to give us the dinner on the house, my good sir.****

_****Après ce qui a été trié, vous pouvez oublier que vous nous avez jamais vu.****_****-After that has been sorted, you can forget you ever saw us.****

_****Bien sûr, Monsieur****_****_ Mikaelson_.-Of course, Mister Mikaelson.****

****I hope you guys enjoyed and see ya later!****


	9. Chapter 8

**Hello, my fellow readers! I bring to you a new chapter as a gift, even though it's past Christmas. I hope you guys enjoyed your Christmas, if you celebrate it or not. I can say that mine was rather eventful and tiring, which is why it took me so long to update and I apologize for that. I have also been writing other stories since I am on break and I took advantage.**

**Well, you guys can thank sarahmichellegellarfan1. Without her message and love I would have not managed to finish this chapter today. So here you guys have a new chapter.**

**Remember, I own nothing of the Vampire Diaries, except for things that are obvious and my precious OC.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 8<strong>

* * *

><p>I do have to say that Italy is a lovely place, but I still miss the beauty that was Paris. We had arrived to Italy yesterday and it's been two days since Kol had first fed on me, which is the first and only time he has done it. He believes he should give me time to rest, even though I have assured him that I was fine the day after he fed on me. I almost blurted out that I loved him biting me, but I didn't since I don't want to embarrass myself and make him believe I'm some kinky girl with no restraint. He said that he'd drink from me when he felt it to be right, even though I knew that he'd prolong his next feeding as much as he can.<p>

Let no mistake be said, Italy is beautiful, but my heart was pierced by Paris. I do so love Rome and its history, looking forward to see the Colosseum. Kol had been smug and said he'd show me the best places to go to, saying that he'd take me where it was worth our while and telling me I need to broaden my imagination. That had earned him a smack on his arm.

The moment we arrived to our hotel and were escorted to our room, Kol immediately went to the bed. His exhaustion over driving had taken a toll on him, even though I had offered to drive while he told me where to go. We had taken quick and short stops for him to feed on some poor human, killing some of them in his hunger. It's not as if he knew where he was going; he was daggered in a box for over a century and doesn't know of the changes the world went through in that time. That comment had earned me a heated glare and silence from his part for over an hour, but my constant chatting and weak jokes had broken his silent treatment.

I do love our room, for it is more cozy than extravagant. Unlike the one in London, it has one floor. Unlike the one in Paris, it only has two bedrooms, making it more to my taste but I still loved the one we had in Paris. What I love about it is that the room has a clear view of St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City's well-known church.

The room has two separate rooms—for sleeping and living—the latter with comfortable sofa, armchair, an antique work desk and a massage chair to ease tired muscles; more specifically for me. The room is full of light, accented with blond wood and it is decorated with original art and antiques all around. The room includes a _gorgeous_ bathroom with separate bath and shower, making me miss the joys of having a shower. We have a view of Rome from our double balconies that is just spectacular. The bed is king-size. Kol having commented that it's like a 'floating featherbed'. We have a plasma TV in the bedroom and living room with a DVD player. There is also a radio that Kol asked for, saying that he'd love to catch me dancing all over the room once more. We were also told of the spa that is at our disposal. I gave Kol a pointed look when he asked how good were the women, correcting that he meant at their job but still earned him a smack on his arm and a threat to have him sleep on the sofa.

Now I find myself sitting on one of the chairs on the balcony, watching Rome at night and smiling at how dim its lights are in comparison to Paris, making it rather cozy and lovely. Kol is still sleeping on the bed and will continue on to the morning. I only smile at the view, still in disbelief at the places I have visited with Kol in such a short time. I find that our stay in Italy will be rather eventful.

* * *

><p>"I have so," I say as we sit on the floor while the coffee table that is in front of the sofa to as our dining table. We decided it best to stay in after having arrived to Italy yesterday and I can see that Kol is still a bit tired. "Why is it so hard to believe?"<p>

"Because breaking a vampire's neck is not killing them," he says as he takes a bite form his plate. "You are temporarily incapacitating them."

I huff. "Fine, I have never killed anyone. Happy?"

"I find it hard to believe, given the years you've spent with Nik," he says as he takes a sip from his drink, which is probably scotch or whiskey. "How have you never killed anyone?" He cocks an eyebrow at me. "Permanently."

"Well, excuse me if I have a conscience," I say indignantly. "I'm sorry if I don't take joy in the pain of others like you."

"A little mayhem never harmed anybody," he says with a smirk, shaking my head at him.

"You're just a chaos-junkie, aren't you?" I ask him.

He grins while waggling his eyebrows at me. "You know me so well, darling."

"More than less," I say with a grin as he takes a sip of his drink.

We both perk up at his ringing phone on the coffee table. Kol frowns before picking it up, huffing when he sees who is calling. "Well, if it isn't the big bad wolf."

"Nik?" I ask as the phone continues to ring.

"Who else?"

"Let me answer," I say, extending my hand for him to give me the phone, deciding it best to see what Klaus has to say since I have ignored him for quite some time.

Kol frowns at me warily. "Are you sure?"

"I am," I say before he nods and gives me the phone, answering it and putting it to my ear while Kol continues to eat. "Hello?"

"_Gwen?_" Klaus' voice of disbelief asks, making me nervous as to where this conversation may go.

"Hey," I say as I stand up and go to the balcony, not wanting to have a potential argument with Klaus in front of Kol. "What's up?"

"_Is that all you have to say after running off with my brat of a brother?_" he asks, his accusatory tone not winning him any points.

"Are you blaming someone that isn't you?" I ask him, getting annoyed.

"_Where are you?_" he asks, avoiding the question since he knows that I know that he won't lie to me.

"Do I need really to tell you what you must already know?" I ask him, knowing that Klaus must have some information about my whereabouts with Kol.

"_Like your visit to London?_" Klaus asks, making my hair stand on end at Klaus having kept tabs on us while I pace on the balcony.

"You do know that you'll never see me again if you continue with your stalking, right?" I challenge, probably having been him who had sent someone to spy on us while in Paris, which explains why I felt watched. "You should've stopped at London."

"_What are you talking about?_" he asks. "_My source was killed in Kol's little tantrum. I have recently received word that you left France._"

I frown but decide to shrug off the topic of my feeling of being watched in while in France. "You know, I haven't heard you apologize in the entirety of our conversation."

"_Since when do I need to apologize?_"

"Since you practically said I am as useless as the dirt you walk on!"

"_Kol almost killed you and you frolic with him while I simply said things I did not mean,_" he stresses out while I scoff.

"There's a difference between you and him," I say. "Kol and I have spent little time together and we're getting used to one another, so don't bring him into this as an excuse. This problem is between you and me and that is how it's going to be. You hurt me."

"_That was never my intent,_" he says and I can hear the remorse in his voice, but I am not ready to forgive him. "_I was angry and words just flew out of my mouth._"

"Well, I felt that you actually meant them in your little burst of anger after you snapped Rebekah's neck," I say. "Did you really mean what you said?"

"_Never,_" he breathes as I calm down while leaning on the railing of the balcony. "_I just want to make things right with you. Things aren't the same with you gone._"

I sigh. "Yeah, things are weird without you."

"_Why don't you come back?_" he asks, which doesn't surprise me that he does as I sigh. I feel someone behind me and I turn to see Kol leaning on the doorway to the balcony with his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes narrowing at me. "_You can come back and I'll fix things. You just have to come back._"

"Not today," I answer, my eyes locked with Kol's, for I am not ready to come back, let alone without Kol. "I want to stay with Kol." Kol grins at this while I roll my eyes at him in response.

"_You do know he might be using you for his own gains,_" Klaus says and I huff in annoyance.

"Can we stop with insulting one another?" I ask, looking at Kol with a scowl. "You insult Kol and Kol in return when talking to me about one another. Is it necessary to just keep telling me how much of a pain in my behind you both are?"

"Hey!" Kol and Klaus say simultaneously, proving even further that they are brothers.

"You are," I say to both of them. "I'm staying with Kol and that is final, Niklaus."

I can hear the flinch in Klaus' sigh at my use of his full name before he says, "_If it means anything, I am sorry, Gwen. You have no idea how important you are to me._"

"And so are you to me," I say, seeing Kol roll his eyes while I scowl in return. "But I'm still not going back."

"_Enjoying Italy?_" he asks, knowing that he's trying to get a rise out of me while Kol tries to scowl at Klaus through the phone.

"You do know I'll kill anyone who is here on your command," says Kol, knowing that Klaus can hear him, "don't you, big brother?"

"How do you know where we are?" I ask, irritated that he has eyes on us.

He chuckles. "_Come on, Cat. Six years looking after you and you think I stopped?_"

"I am not a china doll, Niklaus. I can take care of myself, so stop following us or I swear I'll-"

"_Never talk to me and whatnot,_" he says, cutting me off as I try to glare at him through the phone. "_Forgive me?_"

"On which indiscretion?" I ask, taking a page out of his book.

"_All of them?_" he asks hopefully and I bet he's wearing a cheeky grin on his lips.

"I'll take it under advisement and wipe the grin off your face," I say before Kol snatches the phone out of my hands.

"Well, you heard the lady," Kol says with a smirk. "We'll see you whenever, Nik, preferably never. And I must say that Gwen's blood is a delicacy, you should've had her before I did." I gape at him as he hangs up.

"Kol!" I say with a scolding tone while he smirks at me. "Did you really have to say that?"

"What?" he asks with an innocent look, but the mirth is there in his eyes, passing by me and goes inside to our room with me following. "I was only informing my dear brother what he's missing out on."

"Why do you have to push his buttons?" I ask. "He'll get mad; throw a tantrum and dagger you if he wants to."

"Let him try," Kol says as he turns to me with a confident air about him. "He won't risk losing you."

"Oh, so I'm a shield against Nik?" I ask, annoyed at this.

"Aren't you?" he asks with a grin as he approaches me, causing me to frown. "You would let him dagger me?" he asks as he stands behind me, placing his hands over mine that I have on my sides. "Would you leave me locked in a box for the next century?" His lips brushing against my ear, causing shivers to go through my skin.

"No," I answer without hesitation.

"Then what else should I call you besides lover, if not a shield against my dictating brother?" he asks, pulling away and going over to the radio that is on top of the DVD player.

"I don't know," I say after I manage to gather my wits as Kol connects his phone to the radio, probably looking for a song to play. "Dance lessons?"

"Obviously," he says with his back still turned to me. "I thought we'd dance to something a bit more moving this time."

"What do you have in mind?" I ask as he turns to me with a smirk before the song of 'Take Me Home Tonight' by Eddie Money starts playing, causing me to chuckle. "Really?"

"Can you keep up?" he asks as he takes my hands in his as the singing starts.

_Oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh_

_Yeah yeah, yeah yeah, yeah yeah_

"That is an insult, Mister Mikaelson," I say he begins to lead in slow steps as he moves us to a more spacious area of our room.

_I feel a hunger—it's a hunger_

_That tries to keep a man awake at night_

_Are you the answer? I shouldn't wonder_

_When I feel you whet my appetite_

"That was not my intent," he says as he twirls me before bringing me back to him. "Still, you can be a bit tense whenever around me. Are my good looks too intense for you, my darling?"

_With all the power you're releasing_

_It isn't safe to walk the city streets alone_

_Anticipation is running through me_

_Let's find the key and turn this engine on_

"Do not flatter yourself, darlin'," I say, remembering how Kol found it amusing that I called him 'darlin'', saying that has never happened to him before. He also finds amusing that I don't do it in a playful manner, which I don't. I just really like calling him that, except that I have my own version of saying it without the accent. We begin to take steps that are close to waltzing but it's more free-flowing, allowing us to improvise as we go. He smirks at me before he turns me under his arms and brings me back. "You may be my type but being cocky isn't going to help you."

_I can feel you breathe_

_I can feel your heart beat faster_

"I'm your type?" he asks me with a smug grin. "How can I not be?"

He spins me away from him, bringing me back to flip me, causing me to laugh at the rush of it. He takes my hand and we begin to waltz in an improvised and upbeat manner while I'm still coming down from my high of excitement as we continue to dance to the song.

_Take me home tonight_

_I don't want to let you go 'til you see the light_

_Take me home tonight_

_Listen honey, just like Ronnie sang_

"_Be my little baby, oh-oh-oh"_

"I do so love your nickname for me," he says with his lips at my ears before he purrs, "darling." This causes pleasant shivers to go down my spine as a storm appears in my stomach while I shake my head at him with a smile.

_I get frightened in all this darkness_

_I get nightmares I hate to sleep alone_

_I need some company, a guardian angel_

_To keep me warm when the cold winds blow_

_I can feel you breathe_

_I can feel your heart beat faster_

_Take me home tonight_

_I don't want to let you go 'til you see the light_

_Take me home tonight_

_Listen honey, just like Ronnie sang_

_"Be my little baby, be my little baby_

_Oh-oh"_

"Why did you pick this song?" I ask him as he turns me and dips me when I return to him, keeping me dipped while grinning down at me while I have my arms around his neck.

"I'm learning that you have a love for old music," he says before thinking about something else. "Well, it's old music to you."

"Obviously," I say as he brings us back upright and we continue dancing. "You would be dust if you weren't a vampire."

_Just like Ronnie sang, I say_

_Just like Ronnie sang_

_"Be my little baby, baby my darling_

_Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh"_

_I feel a hunger, it's a hunger_

"And you're lucky to have a dashing stud," he says, causing me to chuckle at his arrogance. "I know I'm more than lucky."

"You would marry yourself if you could, wouldn't you?" I ask with a teasing tone.

He shrugs. "That would be a dream come true, my darling."

_Take me home tonight_

_I don't want to let you go 'til you see the light_

_Take me home tonight_

_Listen honey, just like Ronnie sang,_

_"Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, be my little baby"_

_Take me home tonight_

_I don't want to let you go 'til you see the light_

_Take me home tonight_

_Listen honey, just like Ronnie sang,_

_"Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, be my little baby"_

_Take me home tonight_

_I don't want to let you go 'til you see the light_

_(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)_

_Take me home tonight_

_Listen honey, just like Ronnie sang_

_"Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, be my little baby"_

_Take me home tonight_

_I don't want to let you go 'til you see the light_

_Take me home tonight_

We both stop dancing once the song ends, but we're still tangled together. Neither of us pulls away, my arms on his and his around my waist. We both lock into one another's eyes and he begins to lean down. Just as his lips are about to brush against mine, I disappear from his arms and appear on the sofa with a playful grin as he turns to me with a frown and a smile on his lips.

"And you say I'm a tease," he says as he comes to sit next to me, placing his arm on the back of the sofa behind me.

"I'm not a tease, I just didn't feel like kissing you," I say with a grin as he narrows his eyes at me playfully. "Actually, I was thinking about Thanksgiving."

He frowns. "What?"

"You do know what Thanksgiving is, right?" I ask him with a raised eyebrow.

He rolls his eyes at my sarcasm. "Yes, darling, I do. I was in Europe at the time. I actually intended to go to the feast and have one of my own, but bloodier."

"Of course," I say knowingly. "I was thinking about having our own."

He frowns at this. "Why?"

"Well, I never stopped celebrating holidays, even after I died. I'd really like to keep celebrating," I say as he grabs the remote control, turning on the TV while ignoring me. "I'm serious."

"Let's not worry about that," he says and I huff.

"Thanksgiving is in three days," I say, feeling irritation radiating off of him, to which I sigh since he clearly doesn't care about celebrating such things. "Fine, I'll drop it for now."

We're both silent as we watch the TV, not really paying attention to it. I sigh, wanting to celebrate holidays like I used to when I was human. I only want to keep the memory of my family alive and I keep myself alive by doing this. I don't lose myself as I find purpose in the most mundane things that the supernatural doesn't pay attention to.

"I didn't want to upset you," he says and I turn to him while his attention is still on the TV. "I'm not in the mood for things like holidays when I am having a splendid time with you."

"I guess I can understand that," I say, really meaning it since Thanksgiving is to spend it with friends and family; his family not really in a good place in their lives to spend any holiday together.

"Are you all right?" he asks me as he turns to me, causing me to frown.

"Yeah, why do you ask?"

"I'm getting a bit peckish," he says as his eyes turn bloodshot with protruding veins under his eyes, causing me to raise my eyebrows in surprise and his vampiric features disappear at my surprised look. "You don't have to, I can find my own."

"Can I see?" I ask as I put my legs under me while turning my body to his, his arm that was on the back of the sofa is now around my waist.

He frowns. "My vampire side?"

I shake my head. "It's not your 'vampire side'. It's you; a part of you. Can I?"

He eyes me with a confused look on his face, not knowing what my intentions are but I am patient. He sighs deeply before his vampiric features manifest, his mouth slightly open to reveal the tips of his fangs. I am completely mesmerized by this, for I only see the one side of who he is and it isn't frightening like it is for most people. I place my hands on his cheeks, my fingertips brushing the protruding veins under his bloodshot eyes. I can still see his brown eyes, even with all the red around it. I smile at him.

He frowns. "How are you not afraid?"

"Why should I be afraid?" I ask. "This is just another side of you. And I want _all_ of you, including the vampire side of you. You don't have to hide it from me."

His lips display a small, soft smile that has me catching my breath. I haven't seen such an honest smile on him, to which I smile widely. I lean in and place my lips over his, knowing that I caught him off guard since his lips don't respond. By his reaction, I take notice that I have never initiated a kiss; it's always been him who initiates them. He responds after few seconds as my hands intertwines with his hair, knowing that he still has his vampiric features are still manifested since I feel his elongated fangs in our kiss. He takes my legs from under me with his free hand and moves them to have them lying across his lap, leaving his hand on my thigh. He pulls away, a grin on his lips as he eyes me with his bloodshot eyes while I smile at him.

"Weren't you 'peckish'?" I ask with a bit of an accent on the last word, causing him to snicker since he knows what a comment to my horrible British accent will earn him.

"Are you still offering?" he asks me and I nod at him.

His predatory eyes go to my hand that is still in his hair, taking his hand from my thigh to grab my hand and have my wrist at level with his mouth. He places a soft kiss on my wrist, appearing to be apologetic. He looks to me, his eyes asking for permission and I grant it with a nod. His arm around my waist pulls me closer to him and I have my head lying on his shoulder, watching as his fangs brush my skin. I wince when his fangs plunge into my smooth skin, already taking big gulps of my blood. I sigh in pleasure at having him drinking from me before I start to feel lightheaded. It doesn't surprise me how much he has drunk from me in such a short while since he last fed this morning and it's night time. I tug at my arm, letting him know that he's taken enough blood as my body slumps against his.

"Kol," I say as I tug at my hand again, his grip on my wrist tightening, causing me to whimper. "Kol, stop!"

He pulls away, throwing me off him on the couch as he turns to face away from me; all of his movements are done with the speed that only a vampire has. I see his eyes are closed as he pants, reining in his hunger and taking control of himself. I look down at my wrist and see it healing, the bite marks closing up and my skin is smooth again. This time, his mouth is clean, not a single drop of blood on him while he rubs a hand on his face.

"Kol?" I ask, worried about him.

"We're not doing that again for a while," he says with his tone leaving no room for argument as he continues to look away from me. "Are you all right?"

I nod, even though he's not looking at me. "I'm already healed. Are you okay?"

"Can you stop worrying about others and worry about yourself for once?" he snaps, causing me to flinch at his tone. "Leave me be."

"Kol-"

"I need fresh air," he says as he stands up, not looking at me as he grabs his coat and stomps out of our room, slamming the door behind him.

I sigh as I stand up, almost falling over my feet in my lightheadedness. I take a minute and shake my head to concentrate long enough to make it to the bedroom. I flick my hand and turn off every electronic device, engulfed in darkness. I go to the bedroom and lay down on the bed, missing Kol's warmth as I rest.

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><p><strong>The end of the chapter! Well, remember to leave your thoughts behind and I will be posting soon, so keep watch. Also, please review, I want to know your thoughts about my story, so review, Fave or Follow.<strong>

**Merry Christmas and to a Happy New Year! See ya later!**


	10. Chapter 9

**Hey, guys! Here you go, yet another chapter! I just want to say for you all to have a Happy New Year's Eve and enjoy this chapter like you've enjoyed this story. Sorry but I'm not one for speeches and stuff, I can't find the words, but I am glad for the reviews and hearing from you guys. Hope you enjoy this new year that is to come and leave behind 2014.**

**HAPPY NEW YEARS! (For good measure)**

**And remember, own nothing of the Vampire Diaries, except for the obvious, which is mine.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 9<strong>

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><p>I pace in my room, worried about Kol since he hasn't returned after he left last night in his anger. It's almost noon and there is no trace of him, not a call or message or anything to appease my worries. I can't help but wonder if he left me here or is hurt somewhere, the former causing my heart to clench at the possibility and hoping it's the latter. The lights in the room flicker in my distress, which I don't bother to calm down. The TV is only static like the radio with the volume lowering or rising, which is caused by my frantic emotions.<p>

I go over to the balcony, looking at the many people passing by and not able to recognize anyone that might look like Kol. Well, I am not even registering them that well in my hurry to find him. I exhale, close to pulling my hair out in worry as I go back into the room. I gulp down, praying that he hasn't returned because he can't control himself near my blood over the fact that he left me on my own.

Not able to take the suspense, I simply go over to the front door and go through it, stepping out of my room. I walk down the hallway and begin making my way out of the hotel, not bothering to be visible since it'll make things easier while also walking through people.

Once outside the hotel, I look to my surroundings, seeing the sun high in the morning while people walk along the sidewalk and cars coming up and down the street. I crane my neck to get a better view, but I come up short when I have no evidence of Kol being nowhere near the vicinity. Sighing, I decide to simply walk and hope I find him along the way.

I walk along the sidewalk while hugging myself, trying to dodge people as best as I can but go through some since I always cause discomfort whenever I go through the living. I look around, trying to find Kol while also enjoying the sights. I love how old the buildings seem so old fashioned, oozing history just by standing where they are. They all had restaurants and stores lining them, coming up on a neighborhood every now and then. Unlike Paris, which had few streets made of cobblestone, Rome seems to have more of its streets made of cobblestone. I am only glad it's daylight, which would make it easier for me to find my way back to the hotel if I fail to find Kol, which I hope I don't.

I feel a bit out of place on my own with my nerves on edge as I look around the unfamiliar place with people that speak a language I do not. I feel rather tempted to go back to the hotel, find a phone and call Klaus to tell him I'm coming back, but I stomp that thought. I refuse to have to resort to Klaus to fix y problems like he has been doing for the last six years, going on seven soon enough. I will try to find Kol. If I can't, I will return to the hotel and wait for him to return. If he does not return for a couple of days, I will leave and return to Rebekah since Klaus would probably rub it in my face that he was right about Kol ditching me.

Just thinking about the possibility of Kol having abandoned me makes tears well up in my eyes, but I hold them back, for I may be wrong and he might still be blowing off steam. I continue down the street, looking around and searching for the swaggering of Kol anywhere, or his brown hair or his dark brown eyes. Once I find him, I will beat him up so bad for making me worry about him, regardless of his status as an Original vampire, which is what he would most surely point out and adding that he cannot be killed with all the smugness that is just him.

I decide to keep looking for him, but not stray too far from the hotel since the last thing I need is to get lost in Rome and somehow end up on a coast, which could be bad since water irks me to no end. I shake off the unpleasant shiver at the thought of water and continue on, keeping an eye on the sky to start my return to the hotel when the sun begins to set.

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><p>I look around when I come to a square, trying to see if I find Kol since I have little time before the first rays of the sun tell me that dusk is coming. The square is surrounded by buildings of any type, shaping the area. I approach a fountain where many people that must be tourists are taking photos with it in the background. I find that the place is bustling with many people that are both tourists and locals.<p>

The fountain in the middle is beautiful, which seems to be the main attraction in the square as many people herd around it to try and get pictures of it while other people take rest on the edge of the fountain. The fountain has a tall obelisk in the middle with a cross at the top that is set in the center on a plinth with different sculptures of creatures that are decorating the base.

I sigh and go over to the fountain, deciding to take a moment to gather myself as I sit on an empty space on edge of the fountain. I cross my legs and lean and arm on my knee to place my chin on my hand. I cannot think of where Kol could be since I have never been in this place and know nothing about it to assume where Kol might be at the moment.

"Do you care for company?" I whip my head up and notice an elderly man with white already beginning to coat his dark hair, but he appears to be in his fifties, which means he isn't too old. He is wearing a suit without a tie and a black trench coat over it. "You seem in need of it."

I frown at him since I am sure I haven't made myself visible, unless he is supernatural. "You may."

He nods at me with a small and polite smile before sitting down next to me. I look him over with wary eyes, not finding any jewelry on him, so no lapis lazuli and that means he's not a vampire. He can be a werewolf or a witch, explaining why he can see me, but it is still strange that he approached me like this. I shiver a bit at the dark feeling I am getting from him, darkness surrounding him with hate that is laced with pain. The pain seems to have been within him for some time, a pain that resembles my own when I lost my family.

"My name is Pat Easton, pleasure to meet you," he says, his accent a bit of a mix of others, but I can tell that there is British in there. "And what should I call a lovely thing like you?"

I smile at his politeness as we turn to face one another. "Gwen Pierson, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"You're not from around here, are you?" he asks me and I give him a shy look.

"It's that noticeable, huh?"

He chuckles and I chuckle with him a bit, momentarily forgetting about my search for Kol. "I myself am only passing through."

"Where are you from?" I ask him, curious as to where he comes from.

"From all around," he sighs. "I do find myself spending more time in London than anywhere else."

I widen my eyes in surprise. "Really? Is it your home?"

"Oh, yes," he says as he looks out into the crowd, lost in thought. "My family and I used to live there. I have my church."

"You're a priest?" I ask with a raised eyebrow.

"In a way," he says with a small nod. "I do more traveling, seeing and exploring before returning. It brings me such peace when I return. It's like I take some of the darkness in the world and purify it when I return home."

"That is really nice of you, Mister Easton," I say, a bit put out by his words but I shrug them off. "It's good to know it has some men to make it brighter."

"Yes, men," he mutters before turning to me with a smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes. "So, what brings you to Rome?"

"I am here with a companion," I say, not wanting to say I'm here with my boyfriend since it doesn't seem fit to describe Kol. "We had an argument and I am looking for him before trouble is caused."

"Well, he is a lucky man," he says with a knowing look that makes me blush. "How did you two meet, if I may be so bold?"

"My best friend is his older brother and we met on a family reunion," I say, which is not a lie; it's only that the family reunion wasn't expected and his whole family is composed of the strongest supernatural beings on the planet. "We actually didn't get off on a good start."

"Well, he'd be a fool to let someone like you to escape him," he says and I frown at his choice of words, finding that he seems to know a lot more than he is letting on, but I may just be paranoid after spending too much time with Klaus. "You are quite the sight and kind, as far as I can tell."

"Thank you," I say with a small smile. "You seem to be very kind. Well, it's been to talk to you, Mister Easton."

"Please, call me Pat," he says as I stand up and I nod with a smile. "It's been a pleasure speaking with you as well, Miss Pierson."

"Gwen," I say and he nods with a smile. I turn around to continue my search for Kol but turn back to Pat. "Mister Easton?"

"Yes?" he asks, looking up at me from where he still sits on the edge of the fountain.

"It does get better, the pain," I say, catching him off guard as his eyes go wide. "Trust me, I know all about it."

"I hope so," he says and I give him a smile before turning around and continuing my search for Kol, hoping I find him.

* * *

><p>I sigh as I walk along the hallway towards my hotel room, tears almost ready to spill out of my eyes since I am quite sure that Kol might have left, making my heart clench at this. I rambled around Rome, even went a bit close to Vatican City—a place I find too creepy to go anywhere near it—but I found no Kol and no trace of him, which proves that he might've ditched me. I manage to return to the hotel just as dusk descended on the sky, getting lost a few times but my memory served me well and I remembered the way back.<p>

I come up to my door and go through it, frowning when I find the room's lights are on since they turned off when I took my erratic emotions with me. I freeze when I see Kol sitting on the sofa while leaning on his knees, his head bent as he stares at the floor; well, he's glaring at the floor and he hasn't taken notice of my presence yet. His hands are fumbling with one another while he's in deep thought, probably wondering where I am.

"Kol," I say to get his attention, causing his head to whip up to me with wide eyes, being on his feet in less than a second.

"Where have you been?" he asks me with his face set with a glare but I only spring forward and wrap my arms around his mid-section, sobbing without tears as I hold them back while burying my face into his chest. I sigh in relief when I feel his hands go to the back of my head and around my shoulders, holding me tight against him as he buries his face on the top of my head. I only grip the back of his shirt as I hold back my tears by biting my lower lip, glad that he's here. "What's wrong, darling?"

"I thought you left," I say, no quiver in my muffled voice in his chest since I managed to push away my tears and the onslaught that it would have brought. "I waited, but you didn't come back. I went to look for you but I didn't find you."

His grip on me tightens. "I thought _you_ had left. I came back a bit past noon to an empty room and I thought the worst…again."

The anger I had been holding back comes anew as I step out of his arms, smacking him hard on his shoulder, to which he flinches with a flabbergasted look on his face while holding his wound arm. I glare at him as he looks at me with a confused look, clearly not having expected me to become angry. I stand my ground with my glare and my hands on my hips.

"Before I ask what the bloody hell I did to deserve that, can I just say that you look exquisite while angry," he says, causing me to become even further upset as I raise my hand at him and push him back to crash against a wall.

"I was worried about you!" I scold him as he groans on the ground, his eyes closed as he pushes away the pain that the impact against the ground had brought him. "And the only thing you can say is how good I look while angry?" The lights in the room begin to flicker as it becomes colder, which Kol notices with a frown. "And all of this over you not being able to accept that you have a problem with drinking from me and that you care if I'm hurt or not."

"Well, excuse me if I have a problem drinking from you when it clearly hurts you," he says as he stands back up a few feet in front of me, his face serious but not glaring. "And yes, as a vampire who hasn't cared about another in a thousand years, I have never needed to care about someone else. I told you that I am not used to it."

I begin to calm down at his words, deciding to tell him a truth. "It doesn't hurt me."

He frowns as the temperature of the room returns to normal. "What do you mean?"

"When you feed from me, it doesn't hurt me," I say and he crosses his arms over his chest, waiting for me to further explain while wearing a smirk. I know the he wants me to say what he already figured out. "Why must everything be a joke to you?"

"Why don't you tell me what it feels like when I feed from you?" he asks with a knowing smirk that I just want to smack off his face.

"I am so tempted to smack that smirk off your face," I say as I match him by crossing my arms over my chest.

"Stop avoiding the question, darling," he says and I sigh.

"Why don't you explain last night and I'll think about it," I challenge, to which he snickers.

"All right," he says, licking his lips as he looks to do side, gathering his thoughts before meeting my eyes once more with a composed face that doesn't give away his emotions, something I am getting used to. "I almost lost control and I was angry, but not at you."

"At yourself?" I ask, to which he nods.

"I shouldn't have snapped at you and I should have returned a lot sooner," he says and I nod at him with a small smile.

"You're forgiven," I say, to which he grins.

"Your turn," he says, practically jumping in anticipation.

"I like it," I answer while shrugging my shoulders, deflating his ego as he frowns at me.

"That's it?"

"What?" I ask, knowing that he expected me to practically praise him. "I like that you feed from me. It's a tad painful at first, but I do like it."

"You're disappointing," he says with his eyes playfully narrowed at me. "You're not going to say that it's euphoric, amazing, out of this world?"

"Nik is right about one thing about you," I say as I appear on the couch and Kol turns to me with a frown.

"And what is that?"

"You have a big ego," I say and he chuckles before coming to sit next to me with an arm around my shoulders.

"And you love it," he says and I shake my head at him.

I frown at a thought. "What did you do last night? You were gone for quite some time."

"I went to a pub," he says, sighing deeply. "I might have played with my food all night and finished it today. After that I came back here."

I raise an eyebrow at him in question. "What do you mean you played with it?"

"Let's just say that I succumbed to my ways when I was in my darkest days as a vampire," he says, not really knowing how to explain it. "You don't want to know."

"All right," I say with a sigh, disliking how he must've killed the person or persons since he didn't specified.

"What about you?" he asks and I look up at him from being in thought.

"What about me?"

"Did anything exciting happen while you were looking for me?"

I shrug. "I just looked around. I did meet a nice elderly man that is also visiting Rome from London. He seemed sad and angry."

"Well, that's him," he says and I give him an annoyed look at his indifference. "What?"

"Are you really that insensitive with others?"

"Everyone but you," he says with a flirty grin, to which I roll my eyes at. Suddenly, we both jump in surprise when his phone rings, to which we chuckle. He takes the phone out of his pocket and groans in annoyance, handing it over to me. "I'm too tired for him."

I take the phone and see that it's Klaus calling. I answer the call and put the phone to my ear before saying, "Hello."

"_Hello, Gwen,_" Klaus says and I can tell that he is not in a good mood by the tone of his voice, while Kol starts pressing butterfly kisses on my shoulder. "_Where's my darling brother? I'd like to have a word with him about sinking his fangs where they don't belong._" I contain my sigh as Kol moves up to my neck while paying attention to Klaus' growling voice, probably mad that I let Kol drink from me.

"He's," I begin and I squeak when Kol pushes me on my back on the sofa, smirking at me before settling between my legs to continue pressing his lips on my throat, "he's a bit busy." I take a breath, loving Kol's weight on me and trying to contain the moans that want to escape me, feeling Kol smirk against my skin before he continues kissing and nipping my skin.

"_I bet he is,_" Klaus says with a hint of a growl, probably having guessed what Kol is doing. I bite my lip from letting a moan escape me as Kol's hands run up and down my sides. "_Put him on._"

"Go to hell, Nik," Kol says against my neck as my free hand goes to his hair, massaging his scalp, which earns me a satisfied growl. "You'll have to learn not to interrupt me while I'm ravishing my Gwen."

"_You better take your hands off her before I rip them off,_" Klaus growls while I continue to bite my lip to keep my moans down and not make things worse as Kol continues his ministrations.

Kol smirks as he raises his head from the crook of my neck and staring down as he leans on his elbows that are on either side of my head. I pant as my hand falls from his hair to my chest, our eyes reflecting lust for one another. He leans down and pecks my lips before taking his phone from my hand, putting it to his ear.

"Why don't you make me?" he says to Klaus with a challenging grin as he sits up, making me miss his warmth and I sit up beside him. I lean back on the couch, regaining my wits from having had Kol worshipping my neck, turning to him with a smile but I frown at his wide eyes. "That's impossible," Kol says as he stands up, pacing around the coffee table. "Last I remember, they were nothing but bits and pieces. I even remember you ripped out the tongue of one of them." I scrunch up my nose at this and Kol grins when he notices. "Alexander, right?" He pauses, hearing whatever Klaus is saying. "And you have him?"

"What is it?" I ask as he raises a finger to his lips, telling me to keep quiet, which I do with a huff and crossing my arms over my chest.

"He's said nothing?" he asks. "What greater evil? What's worse than you?" I chuckle at this as Kol smirks. "No, Rebekah didn't tell me anything. Keep me posted on this hunter. It's picked my interest." He pauses and looks to me. "She's busy. I'll send her your greetings." He hangs up and I roll my eyes at his childish antics.

"What was that about?" I ask as Kol sighs before sitting on the coffee table in front of me.

"Has Nik ever told you about the Five?"

I frown, remembering something about it. "I remember he said that he was cursed after he killed some hunters that went by that name. He said he had hallucinations and tried killing himself."

"That's what happens when a vampire kills a hunter that belongs to the Five," he says. "That lot had a few more annoying tricks; another being the fact that you can't compel them."

"What are they?" I ask. "Nik never said much about them."

"I doubt he would," Kol says as he stands up, going over to the mini fridge and takes out a bottle that has an alcoholic beverage in it. "It brings him bad memories. He was a bit of a burden while cursed. Elijah and I could barely keep up with him, so we settled to watch over him as he tried to end his life, making sure he didn't go too far over the edge."

"Yeah, he said something about that," I say as I remember having a conversation with Klaus about being cursed for over fifty years or so. "They are hunters?"

"Special hunters with special tattoos," he says as he comes back with a glass and sits next to me, filling the glass with I assume is whiskey and leaving the bottle on the coffee table to fill up his glass when he finishes the contents in the glass. "They were a brotherhood of skilled vampire hunters. Nik, Elijah and Rebekah crossed paths with them first in the twelfth century," he grins, "Italy."

"Here?" I ask with wide eyes as I cross my legs on the sofa while he told the story.

He narrows his eyes while in thought. "Not far from here, if memory serves me right."

"That's good to know, I think," I say and he grins while taking a sip from his drink.

"While I travelled to the east, the rest of my sibling followed the Normans to the south," he says, his eyes looking far away in a memory. "All of us turned and fed as we went. Elijah never failed to remind us that with bloodshed comes exposure; a warning I did not heed."

"Not surprising," I say and he grins at me knowingly.

"It was during my darkest days as I embraced my vampire nature," he says. "I remember that my siblings had sent word that the vampire hunters were aware of vampires and had made threats by killing some of them. I remember that Rebekah courted one of them. She has such poor judgment."

"What about me?" I ask, deciding to tease him for insulting Rebekah's choice of men, which have not been good but still. "If she has poor judgment, I must be out of my mind."

He narrows his eyes at me playfully. "Well, at least I have good taste, even though I ended up with a ghost that has poor judgment."

"Why don't you continue with the story?" I ask and he grins at me in victory. "How long have these hunters existed?"

"I have no idea," he answers, taking a final sip from his drink before filling up the glass again. "I'd say after we were turned by our mother, I think. I do wonder how they could've resurfaced since they were dead by the time we finished with them."

"Shocker," I say in sarcasm. "Rebekah was courted by one of them?"

Kol' brows rise while chuckling. "Like with any bloke she fancies, she pathetically fell in love with him; although, it did work in our favor since he told her all of his secrets."

"Did _he_ love her?" I ask, saddened that Rebekah fell in love with a man and ended in tragedy.

He sighs before his eyes meet mine. "Unlike you, my darling, some people can't handle the truth when it is revealed to them."

I frown when I remember something he said to Klaus. "What did Klaus ask you that you said you didn't know about?"

"A little secret that Bekah confided in me and only me," he says, to which I frown. "Rebekah liked one hunter; his name was Alexander and she ignored my warning about how idiotic it was of her to love someone who will never ignore her status as a vampire."

"But she loved him," I say. "She might've thought her love would be enough."

"You're too naïve, darling," he says, causing me to sigh in defeat since I won't convince him that love can be strong enough to change someone. "He was never going to overlook her being a vampire." He sighs. "Well, going back to the story, Rebekah loved one of these supernatural hunters and my siblings were quite eager to find out more about them; again, ignoring my warnings against it. They were so sure that they would destroy us."

"Why?" I ask with a frown.

"They had said they had the ultimate weapon to destroy all vampires," he says, my frown deepening.

"A weapon?"

"Yes and their tattoos led to it," he says and I nod in understanding. "The swords belonging to the Five were the only things that could translate them. They were also the ones who first possessed the daggers that Niklaus used to steal decades from me."

"And Rebekah found out all of this," I say, frowning.

"Yes, but our sister isn't so good at investigating," he says while glaring and taking a large gulp of his drink before filling it back up.

I frown. "What do you mean?"

"One night, she had lowered her guard when her suitor and his brothers invited me and my siblings to a feast," he says, still glaring at the floor. "It was the first time I was daggered and all because Rebekah was falsely promised a life with a lying hunter that only meant to kill us. Finn was left daggered since Nik didn't like his moping over being a vampire."

"She couldn't have known, Kol," I say, trying to defend Rebekah.

"She should have!" he says, angry as he turns to me. "She chose a hunter over her family and the Five would have left us in our sleep if it wasn't for Nik's werewolf genes."

"That's right," I say. "The daggers don't work on him. Still, he must've told Rebekah something worth putting her guard down."

"He promised her something too ridiculous to even imagine," he says as he finishes the whole bottle of whiskey.

"What?"

"Their tattoos disappeared with their deaths," he says, "and, with it, the map that leads to a cure for vampirism."

"What?" I ask in disbelief. "There's no cure for vampirism."

"I don't believe it either, but that map led to a weapon against vampires," he says. "And Nik wants to find it after a hunter with a similar tattoo seems to have waltzed into Mystic Falls."

"And what did he need from you?"

He smirks. "To tell him if I knew Rebekah's little secret."

"Are you going to tell me?" I ask and he tilts his head with a questioning look.

"Are you going to tell Klaus?"

I give him a hurt look. "No."

"All right," he says as he places the glass on the coffee table. "He needs the sword to decipher the map, but we only know of one that still exists."

"Which one?" I ask.

"Alexander's sword," he says and I nod, waiting for him to continue. "Rebekah and I are the only ones that know where it is, which is here in Italy."

"And you won't betray Rebekah," I say with a nod as he shakes his head. "I won't either, but I know that you also take joy in making Nik's life a misery, don't you?"

"You know me from top to bottom, darling," he says with a wide grin.

I sigh through my nose while smiling at him. "Well, let's change scenery. Want to watch a movie?"

"No," he says with a firmness that leaves no room for argument, making my smile disappear into a frown.

"Why not?"

"You have horrible taste in theatrical entertainment," he says matter-of-factly. "I won't go through that torture again."

"I promise you'll like this one," I say with a bright smile, causing him to sigh in defeat.

"Fine," he exhales as he leans back on the sofa while I reach for the remote, intent on looking for the movie I want him to watch. "If it has shining vampires, I won't watch it. Also, if it has shirtless werewolves for you to drool over, I will destroy it."

"They're actors," I argue. "I can say whatever I want about them, especially since I will never meet them."

"Good," he says as I raise my hand, lowering my fingers, which dims the light before snuggling next to Kol, who wraps an arm around me.

"You'll like this one," I say. "It's based on true events."

"Really?" he asks and I nod.

"It's about the 'Titanic'."

"I heard about that," he says as I find the movie in the TV. "I was in New Orleans when it happened. They made a movie about that?"

"Yep," I say, playing the movie. "You'll love it."

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><p><strong>There you guys go, my last update of the year and I hope you guys like it. Leave behind reviews, Faves or Follows! Any thoughts you leave behind I will take, hope you guys liked it.<strong>

**Again, HAPPY NEW YEARS!**

**See ya later!**


	11. Chapter 10

**Hey, guys! Sorry for the late update. I had some trouble with my computer and it was giving me such a headache that I stopped trying and I tried once more and voila! Everything's fixed and I will start updating a bit faster.**

**I love the reviews and, more importantly, you guys for loving my story and for keep reading.**

**Remember, I own nothing of the Vampire Diaries, except for the obvious.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 10<strong>

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><p>"You're up early," I say, watching Kol appear in the living room from where I'm sitting on the sofa while watching TV. He's wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt with his hair a bit longer, which is ruffled from sleep. I smile at the sleep that is still on his face. "Have somewhere to go?"<p>

He yawns, covering it with his hand. "I actually dreamt about that bloody movie."

"Oh, come on," I argue. "You can't say you didn't like 'Titanic'."

"Darling, there is so much romance I can handle in a play," he says as he goes over to the phone of the room. "Besides, that guy was too whipped by some girl he _just_ met."

"That's the beauty of their romance," I say as he frowns at me while dialing room service. "It depicts the perfect love story brought to an abrupt and unexpected end just when it had only begun, making it a beautiful tragedy."

He eyes me weirdly with the phone to his ear. "You will not be spending any more time with Rebekah than you already have."

I tilt my head at him in annoyance and say, "It is a romantic movie and I love it, so get used to it."

"No, I won't," he says as he puts his attention to the phone. "Yes, I'd like some breakfast and coffee." He pauses as he rubs the sleep from his eyes. "I'll have the special or your best dish." He pauses once more. "Thank you." He hangs up, coming to sit beside me. "And how can you like a movie that makes you cry?"

"It is very emotional," I say, remembering how I cried last night and Kol had become distressed, since he couldn't comprehend why I was crying, and he didn't know how to stop it. I have to remember not to cry too much in a movie with Kol; it is probable he'll go into a fit. "You're the one with the problem for not crying. It's a wonderful movie."

"That ends in tragedy," he says, grinning in victory too early. "That story cannot compare to Shakespeare's work. Now that is worth my attention."

"Well, first of all, it doesn't end tragically because they still manage to find one another in the end," I say, defending the movie to the best of my abilities. "To them, it didn't matter that there were obstacles or the time that had passed before they were reunited because their love for one another was too strong to die. Second of all, I happen to not like all of Shakespeare's work."

He looks at me as if I have turned into some beast right before his eyes. "You don't like Shakespeare's work?"

"Not all of it," I say and he looks at me with a raised eyebrow. "Well, I like 'A Midsummer's Night's Dream', 'The Tempest' and 'The Winter's Tale'."

"What about 'Romeo and Juliet' or 'Hamlet' or 'Macbeth'?" he asks, clearly disbelieving that I do not like the same Shakespearean works that he does.

I shrug nonchalantly. "I don't like them."

"And yet, you like 'Titanic'?" he asks me, still trying to believe what I told him.

"That's entirely different," I say, keeping myself cool and collected while he seems to be distressed.

"Why?"

"I love their story," I say, silencing him and I further explain. "I love how they fell in love, quite literally at first sight. I love that they do not care where they come from, who they are or what is expected of them. I also love how strong their love is portrayed, even though it's just a movie."

Kol stares at me, not giving away anything and he shrugs. "We'll just have to agree to disagree."

"I also love the song of the movie," I say, to which he groans as he slumps back on the sofa, causing me to laugh at him. "It's a really good song."

"Let's not get into an argument this early in the day, darling," he says as he closes his eyes while leaning back on the sofa. I smile as I stare at him, his eyes closed and chest rising with each breath he takes. The door to our room is knocked, causing us both to turn to it. "Must be breakfast."

"I'll get it," I say as I appear at the door. I grab the doorknob, taking a breath to make sure I'm visible and open the door. I freeze on the spot as my eyes grow wide in shock. "Oh, my god."

My body completely freezes over, not knowing what to expect from who I am staring at with wide eyes. I didn't think I'd see those stormy blue eyes any time soon, at least not today. My body is clearly distressed. He is as unpredictable as Kol and it doesn't help that Kol has been taunting him this whole time we've been travelling.

"Darling?" I hear Kol ask and feel him standing behind me, freezing on his tracks when he sees who it is on the other side of the door. "Bloody hell."

"Missed me, Cat?" Klaus says with a smirk growing on his lips and his eyes fall on Kol. "You and I have business to take care of." He blurs past me and pushes Kol against a wall, holding him in place by plunging his hand into Kol's chest, causing the latter to choke at his heart being gripped. "You have some nerve by thinking you can do whatever you like with Gwen."

"Stop it, Nik!" I say as I close the door to the room, appearing next to Klaus and grabbing his arm. "Let him go!"

"My little brother needs to be taught a lesson, Gwen," Klaus says as his hybrid's features appear and he opens his mouth into a grin, revealing his hybrid fangs. "You never lay a hand on her."

"No!" I scream as Klaus bites into Kol's shoulders before I quickly throw him to the other side of the room, standing in front of Kol as he groans in pain as he slides down the wall and sits on the floor. "What the hell, Nik?"

"He bit you!" Klaus yells, angry at Kol as I keep my hands pointed at him, ready to push him away if he lunges at Kol again. "He harmed you!"

"I let him!" I yell back, causing Klaus to look at me with wide eyes in surprise. "I thought it'd be good for him to get used to be around my blood, especially since it got in the way of us being near one another."

"You let him bite you?" Klaus asks me, turning his anger to me and I lower my arms, since he won't hurt me. "You should know better than that!"

"It's my decision, Nik!" I yell back, knowing that I can never go easy on Klaus, for he thrives when someone is beginning to relent. "Besides, he can't really kill me by draining me of my blood."

"You have officially gone mad," Klaus says with a shrug, while I roll my eyes at him. "You are completely and utterly mental."

I turn away from him and kneel in front of a groaning Kol, his eyes closed in pain with a hand over his wound on his shoulder. I take his hand away from the wound, hissing when I see it's very deep. Kol releases a deep breath as he opens his eyes, offering me a grin. I frame his face with my hands, stroking his cheeks as he pants from the pain of a hybrid bite. I smile at him. while he smirks in return.

"Are you all right?" I ask him as he places a bloodied hand over one of mine. "Well, apart from the hybrid bite on your shoulder."

"Don't worry, darling," he says, struggling to keep himself from showing any more pain than he clearly is in. He glares past me and directly at Klaus. "I've dealt with worse."

"My blood can heal you," I say, causing him to frown at me.

"What?" Kol and Klaus say at the same time; Kol sounding curious and Klaus sounding indignant.

"Well," I say as I turn and look up at Klaus, "either I heal him or you do, but I don't see you about to give him your blood and I won't have him go through this because you are being an overprotective pain in my behind." I turn back to Kol. "My blood can also heal werewolf bites. Here," I say as I put my wrist in front of his mouth. His wary eyes meet mine. He still dislikes having to drink from me, even though I told him I like it.

"Don't you dare," Klaus warns Kol, taking a step closer but I stop him when I turn to him with a glare.

"You want to add this to your probation?" I ask him, causing him to shut his mouth, debating whether to risk it, but I won't wait for him to decide. I turn back to Kol and nod at him with an encouraging smile before he grabs my arm, pulling it to his mouth and sinking his fangs into my skin, causing me to whimper a bit.

"Kol," Klaus says warningly and Kol detaches his mouth from my wrist with a sigh before turning to see his skin stitch itself back together. "Gwen?"

"I'm fine," I say as I go to stand up but wobble a bit, feeling Kol standing up and wrapping an arm around me to keep me from falling. "Thanks."

"Thank _you_, darling," Kol says as he leads me over to the sofa, helping me sit down. He sits on the coffee table in front of me with a hand on my knee before looking at his already healed wound. "Your blood is also a cure for werewolf venom?"

"Yes," Klaus says as he stands next to the sofa with his arms crossed over his chest. "I'd rather we keep this to ourselves. We don't want word to get out that there is someone else that has a cure for werewolf venom and have them target Gwen."

"Yes, well," Kol begins with narrowed eyes, "there is one more thing." Klaus and I frown before Kol lands a punch on Klaus' cheek, sending him crashing on the ground before sitting on the sofa next to me. "You had that coming, you pompous bastard."

I turn to Kol with a scolding look. "Really?"

"He bit me," says Kol, confident in his answer as Klaus sits up from the floor, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth while sporting a cocky smirk.

"Some greeting," says Klaus, bitterness in his tone as he stands up.

"You started it," I say as I look at him with my arms crossed over my chest, whereas Kol places an arm around my shoulders. I turn to Kol. "Don't make it worse."

"He shouldn't start things he can't finish," Kol says with a smirk directed at Klaus.

"I _end_ what I start," Klaus says with a growl, referring to killing Kol.

I sigh exasperatedly as I lean back on Kol's arm. "I am dealing with children."

"Fine," Klaus says, probably having noticed that I am reaching my limit. "I'm sorry for being the older brother of a complete idiot." I groan, knowing that is the closest he'll give of an apology to Kol.

"I feel the love, Nik," Kol says, sarcasm laced in his voice. "I feel how deep and honest your apology is."

I turn to Kol. "Just take it."

Kol sighs, glaring at Klaus. "You apology is taken under consideration, _dear_ brother."

"Bygones," Klaus says with a smirk before going over to the mini fridge and taking out a bottle of scotch. "I still don't like this."

"What?" I ask as he looks at the label on the bottle with a frown, ripping the top off.

"You with my most well-educated brother," Klaus says before taking a swig from the bottle and sitting down on the armrest of the sofa that is next to me.

"Get over it," I say, remembering I am mad at him. "Besides, you and I are not rainbows and sunshine, Niklaus."

"We will be," says Klaus, smirking down at me. "It's just a matter of time."

"Well, screw you," I say, causing Kol to laugh.

"I do so enjoy her," Kol says with a smirk. "And to what to we owe this surprise visit, Nik."

"I need assistance," Klaus says and I roll my eyes, knowing this was coming when we hear a knock on the door, all of us turning to it.

"That must be the real breakfast," Kol says and I pat his knee before getting up and appearing at the door. I make sure I am visible and open the door to the bellhop with a tray in his hands.

"Your breakfast, miss," the elderly bellhop says as I grab the tray and smiling at him.

"Thank you," I say, waiting for him to nod at me and leaving before closing the door. I turn around and walk over to Kol and Klaus, who are now sitting side by side on the couch. "Here."

"Thank you, my darling," Kol says as he takes the tray from my hands.

I simply stand still, not knowing where to sit. I don't want to be between them, but I don't want to be on the side of one of them and leave the other too far from me.

"Welcome," I say and appear sitting on the floor between Kol's legs as he places the tray on the coffee table in front of both of us, which doesn't seem to bother Kol. "And what assistance are you in need of?" I turn to look up at Klaus, who is glaring at a grinning Kol that is managing to eat his breakfast with me between his legs.

"Well, Rebekah has been kind enough to tell me that Alexander's sword is in Italy," Klaus says as he turns to me, and I frown at him.

"I thought Rebekah was mad at you," I say. "I didn't know you guys are in good terms again."

"She's still pouting somewhere," Klaus says, shrugging. "Her attention has gone to the help."

Kol sniggers at this before looking at Klaus. "The quarterback?"

"That exact one," Klaus says with a smirk, to which Kol chuckles. "She's trying too hard to get his attention. I'd say she should back off. She did almost drown him and drowned Elena."

"Why is she still in Mystic Falls?" I ask, not really knowing why she'd want to stay. "I mean, why not leave? That town is not going to like her any time soon."

"She'll just compel herself a friend," says Kol, more focused on finishing his breakfast. "Such a sad thing; our sister."

"Can we stop hammering on her, please?" I say, not liking that they're talking behind Rebekah's back, even if they are her siblings.

"All right," Kol says as he finishes eating. "Why would you need us to search for the sword when you know where it is?"

"Because he wants company," I answer for Klaus, earning a playful glare from him as I lean back against the sofa, still between Kol's legs as he leans over me while playing with a strand of my hair. "Am I right?"

Klaus narrows his eyes at me. "You're not wrong."

"Is it true?" I ask him, causing him to frown. "Is the cure real?"

"I believe it is," Klaus says as he takes a sip from the bottle that is still in his hand. "Rebekah wants it, so it's only fair we get it before anyone else does. We four and Stefan Salvatore are the only ones that know about it, including the hunter and the Gilbert Boy."

"How is Jeremy Gilbert?" Kol asks with a devilish smirk. "Miss toying with the lad."

"I thought you hated his baseball skills," I say.

"Jeremy is the only one who can see the bloody tattoo," Klaus says, causing me and Kol to frown at him.

"Why?" Kol and I ask in unison.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Klaus says with a sigh as he stands up. "Let's go. We have a sword to look for."

"I am not—"

"All right," I say with a sigh, cutting off Kol's protest. "Let's find the sword and you'll be on your way." I see a flash of hurt in Klaus' eyes, but he hurt me with his cruel words, so I will not hold back on mine. I stand up and walk over to Klaus. "Don't think I've forgotten about our problems."

"Fair enough," Klaus says, his grin betraying what he's really feeling as a result of my attitude towards him.

* * *

><p>"You said the sword is here?" I ask as I stand inside the entrance of the church that is a little away from Rome, more into the country side. It is supposed to be the one where Rebekah buried Alexander. Kol and Klaus are standing outside the entrance of the church, since this place has a human owner. "Why am I looking for the Father?"<p>

"We need him to tell us where Alexander is exactly buried because I will not have the construction men digging up every grave," says Klaus, his tone impatient and I turn to him with a glare.

"I am this close," I say by showing the amount of my patience between my thumb and index finger, which is not much, "to not help you at all and leave you do this yourself."

Kol grins in amusement, while Klaus narrows his eyes at me. "Find him and bring him to us."

"Fine," I say and I walk into the church.

I notice it is quite big and beautifully decorated with old antiques. I smile as I look at the ceiling, seeing it painted with angels and humans, surrounding every corner of the ceiling. There are statues made of stone that decorate the walls and the area around the pulpit. I pass the rows of pews that have a few people on them, probably praying or something of the sort. All the pews point towards the pulpit, where the Father would deliver his sermons. I manage to locate the Father at the front and make sure I am visible as I approach the elderly man that is reading some papers.

"Excuse me?" I ask, making the Father turn to me with a kind smile that I return. "Are you the owner of this church?"

"Yes, I am," he says, a hint of a foreign accent to his tone. "And how may I be of service to you?"

"My name is Gwen," I say, extending my hand for him to shake.

"Father Augustus," he says as he shakes my hand in greeting. "You do not seem to be from around here."

"Well, I came with my friends. We are visiting Rome and we heard of your church. We are fascinated by the art it holds," I lie, disliking it as I wring my wrists. "We'd actually like to ask you some questions about it."

"I'd be delighted to help," he says with a charming smile. "And where are your companions?"

"They are admiring the outside," I say as I glance at the entrance before turning back to him. "I hope you don't mind stepping out with me?"

"Not at all," he says while tilting his head forward. "Lead the way." I nod and turn, leading us out of the church to find Kol and Klaus smirking at the Father.

"Nik, Kol, this is Father Augustus," I introduce them, coming to stand between Kol and Klaus, but inching closer to Kol.

"It's a pleasure, Father," Klaus says as he approaches the Father. "I'll be in need of your service today." He makes eye contact. "Do you happen to have records of the locations of the people buried in the cemetery behind your church?"

"Yes, but I do not think it is any of your concern," the Father says with a frown.

"**You will get the records, find where an Alexander is buried from the twelfth century and bring it to me,**" says Klaus. "**I will have you do this now.**" The Father nods at Klaus with empty eyes before he turns and goes inside the church, compelled to do what Klaus told him.

"That's it?" Kol asks, disappointed for some reason. "I thought you'd make it more interesting."

"I do not have time for games, Kol," Klaus scolds. "I need him alive and it is better not to draw any more attention than we already have by dragging a construction crew with us."

"You take the fun out of everything," Kol says and I turn to him with a sharp look. "Besides, there is always time for fun."

"Why must you have the need to kill everything that moves?" I ask sarcastically, to which he smirks before placing his hands on my waist, while I place mine on his biceps, smiling up at him.

"It's in my nature," he says with a pout, to which I roll my eyes at. "I thought you liked my nature or are you just lusting after my body?"

"Have mercy on us all and spare me of this torture," Klaus says as he looks anywhere but at me and Kol. I see Kol smirking at Klaus' discomfort, to which I smack him in the chest, and he looks at me with a feigned look full of hurt.

"Stop flirting with me to get a rise out of Nik," I tell him and he rolls his eyes at me.

"I see that Niklaus has given you the ability to take the fun out of everything," Kol says with an annoyed look that I ignore, but he keeps his arms around my waist as the Father returns with a book in hand.

"We have an Alexander," says Father Augustus. "No last name or close of kin."

"Thank you, Father," Klaus says, his tone faking his gratitude. "**I need you to direct the men behind your church to where Alexander is buried. You will forget ever seeing us and you approve of whatever we do at the cemetery.**"

"Of course," Father Augustus says before making his way towards the cemetery, leaving me with Klaus and Kol as the sun begins to set.

"Now what?" I ask.

"Now we look for the sword," Klaus says, making it sound so simple with his dimpled grin in place.

"Nik?" Kol asks as he releases me and approaches Klaus. "Did you know that Gwen doesn't really like Shakespeare's work?"

I groan while rolling my eyes at him. "Let it go, Kol."

"I'm aware," Klaus answers with a forced smile. "We actually had a huge debate over her reason to not like it. We actually ignored one another for over a month."

"Because you blew it out of proportion," I defend myself. "As I remember correctly, you ended up calling me a witless woman with no taste for culture, and you were going to break my neck."

"Anything," Klaus begins with his arms crossed over his chest, "to stop the nagging."

I narrow my eyes at him in anger. "Should I tell Kol your favorite Disney movie?"

Kol frowns, while Klaus' eyes widen, to which I smirk. "'Disney movie'?" Kol asks and I nod. "What are those?"

"It's a bunch of movies made by Walt Disney," I begin to explain as Kol turns to me with an intrigued look on his face. "The movies are about princesses being rescued by a prince. They are cartoons and Nik likes the one about—"

Klaus blurs to me and covers my mouth with a hand and says, "Have I told you that she's a pathological liar?"

"Really?" Kol asks and I lick Klaus' hand, causing him to retract it in disgust. "I find her a horrible liar. Now, which princess are you, darling brother?"

I smirk victoriously at Klaus. "See what happens when you throw me under the bus?"

"Don't you dare," Klaus tells me while pointing a finger at me in warning, and I forget I am supposed to be angry at him.

"Don't worry, Nik," Kol says as he comes over to me with an impish grin, "I don't need to know about cartoon princesses to know that you are one; a spoiled one at that."

"I can turn you into the fool, if you want," Klaus says as he and Kol stand right in front of one another, challenging each other with smirks on their faces.

"I'd like to see you try," Kol says, ever confident in his skill.

"Why don't you stop this right now before a whole city burns, huh?" I say as I get between them and push them a step from one another. "Let's play nice for once."

"Fine," Klaus says, probably being so submissive to get me to forgive him, which I will do when I find it the right time to do so.

"Kol?" I question him.

"I will only say that I will finish whatever he starts," Kol says before making his way towards the cemetery, leaving me and Klaus to follow after him.

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><p>Kol and I watch the construction crew digging up the area where Alexander is supposed to be buried as Klaus supervises them. It is already dark, which I why some of the construction crew had to install bright light lamps to give them view of what they're digging. Klaus is too engrossed in the search to notice that Kol and I are growing tired and bored.<p>

"We should leave," Kol says and I turn to him, not even frowning since I'd rather leave than stay here. "I've had enough of Nik's company for today."

"All right," I say and he turns to me with a surprised look, probably thinking he'd have to convince me to leave, but I am not too interested in finding a sword that leads to a cure for vampirism. "We should go to dinner or something. I'd like to go to a pub; it's more entertaining than a restaurant."

"I thought you'd put more of a fight," he says with a small smirk and his arms crossed over his chest, while I simply shrug.

"Yeah, well," I say, the only thing I can think of saying. "Why don't you get the car? I need to talk to Nik."

"Why?" he asks, his frown growing angry, probably out of jealousy, which I can feel radiating off of him.

"I don't need to explain myself to you," I begin, since I don't think I have to tell Kol everything I do as if he needs to monitor me, "but, if you must know, I just want to talk to Nik about his apology."

He seems to be angry, which I notice when his jaw clenches. "Fine."

I sigh, deciding to explain my attitude. "Look, the last thing I want is for you to act like Nik by being protective and monitoring me. It's bad enough that he had eyes on us during half of our trip. It just bothered me. I want you to trust me."

He sighs, but it is calm. "I can understand that."

"Thank you," I say and lean up to place peck his cheek. "I'll be right there."

He nods at me before turning around and walking to our own separate car. Kol refused to share a car with Klaus. I sigh and turn to the construction site, making my way over to it. I pass some men as they work around the holes they dug up and make my way over to Klaus as he hangs up his phone, looking a bit annoyed as a construction worker comes to Klaus with an item in his hands. My eyes widen when I see it is a sword.

"Is that the sword?" I ask, still staring at it with Klaus and he turns to me, having noticed my presence now.

"It is," Klaus says as he grins widely at it. "All we have to do now is complete the tattoo and locate the cure."

"When are you going back?" I ask and Klaus nods at the man holding the sword, who takes it away, probably to store it for Klaus.

Klaus turns to me fully, his attention on me, while I stare up at him. "I'm going back tonight."

My eyes widen in surprise and sadness. "Really?"

"The faster I get the cure, the better," he says, making me frown at his intentions with the cure.

"Why do you want it?" I ask. "I doubt it's out of your good will to fetch it."

"Well, if you must know," he begins, hesitating in telling me something that I will probably won't like, "Elena is a vampire. I cure her and I will be able to make more hybrids."

I nod, not surprised at him having other intentions for the cure. "You do know you don't need hybrids, don't you? You have a family."

"Well, that family is too damaged."

"No, that family is too disobedient," I say, seeing right through him and wondering why he even bothers to cover it up. "You only need to make amends. I know it's not easy, but they are worth more than a pack of hybrids."

"Even you are growing to dislike me," he says and I frown at him in disbelief. "Kol is probably feeding you lies about me."

"Seriously?" I say, trying to control my volume. "I love you, Nik! You may be an irritating man with anger issues, but I love you with all your craziness." I take his hands in mine, smiling up at him. "Stop the pity party because I forgive you."

A slow grin grows on his lips. "You do?"

"Yes," I say while nodding before gathering him in my arms, while his wrap around me in a tight hug. "Be careful, Nik. I'm not gonna be there to bust you out of trouble." He chuckles into my shoulder.

We pull away from one another, smiling. "These next words will burn like acid, but you are good for Kol." I frown at him. "He's never felt for anyone; always charming others for his own agenda, but not with you. I never thought he'd ever take a liking to you, but he did. I can tell he still fights it and he's already lost that battle; he just doesn't know it yet, for he will still end up choosing you in the end."

"And how do you know this?" I ask him, truly curious.

"He's my brother," he says. "You might think I know nothing about him, which is partially true, but I know enough."

"I'll miss you," I say, knowing that we won't be seeing one another for some time. "I promise to visit."

"You take your time," he says before sighing. "I think it's time we take a break. Granted, I'd prefer it isn't with Kol, but that's just me. Be safe."

"I will be and no more spying on us."

He sighs. "I think I can manage that." He grins at me playfully while I give him a playful glare. "I hope to see you soon."

"You will, Nik," I say as I begin to walk away from him, feeling him hesitate in letting my hand go, but he does with a bitter smile as I make my way to where Kol is.

I can feel heaviness in my chest at saying a silent goodbye to Klaus, knowing that this is real. I won't be seeing Klaus as much and forgiving him is cutting any possibilities of being sure that I'd see him again anytime soon. I only smile since Klaus has a way of making things happen out of nowhere, and I will be seeing him sooner than I think.

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><p><strong>That is it! It's more of a filler chapter and I will post another soon. I hope you guys enjoy and I'd like to hear from you guys about the story on your reviews so far. It's my first story and I actually have more than expected. I never even planned on continuing on from the first story. I actually wanted to do a short story, but then this appeared and it's thanks to you guys.<strong>

**I hope you all enjoyed; review, PM, Fave or Follow.**

**See ya later!**


	12. Chapter 11

**Hey, guys! Here is a semi-fluffy/saucy chapter, but nothing graphic my friends. I hope you all enjoy this chapter and I want to hear your thoughts about it.**

**Remember, nothing belonging to the Vampire Diaries belongs to me.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 11<strong>

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><p>"Kol?" I say to get his attention as he sits on the sofa, watching some movie about crime and drama. He hums without paying me any sort of attention, keeping his eyes glued to the TV. I only huff in annoyance and shake my head at him. "Kol, I'm taking my top off."<p>

"That's a bloody lie," he says, having heard my words, but not giving me the attention that I want.

I do not understand how or why I am so infatuated with this man, but I just am. Last night, Klaus had told me I am good for Kol, and I would have loved it if he had elaborated a bit more. I am glad that Klaus ad I patched things up, since I hate being on bad terms with him and, normally, it's because of him. I will miss Klaus but now I have Kol to deal with and spend time with, which is proving to be quite the challenge, given the fact that he can't take his eyes off the bloody TV.

"Kol, we need to talk," I say as I sit on the coffee table in front of him, preventing him from having a full view of the TV, and he glares at me in annoyance.

"I can just break your neck and finish this movie," he threatens but I give him an unimpressed look. "I'll deal with the yelling after."

"Kol, today's Thanksgiving," I say as he tries to move to get a better look of the TV but I move with him, thus preventing him from having a full view. I grow annoyed and snap my fingers, turning the TV off and gaining a glare from him. "I am trying to communicate here and it usually takes two or more people to do so; you being the other person in the room means that I am talking to you, so don't ignore me."

"I was watching _good_ entertainment," he says, probably about to bring up my bad taste in movies. "And it's a whole lot better than that junk you made me watch."

"I just want to tell you that I want to celebrate Thanksgiving," I say, earning a scoff from him as he leans his head back against the sofa with his eyes closed.

"Why would you want to celebrate something as mundane as that?" he asks, his eyes still closed. "What's the purpose for it?"

"Because I want to," I say, not needing to have a solid reason to want to celebrate something that I have always celebrated with my family and continued celebrating during my time with Klaus. "Is it so bad to want to celebrate and be thankful?"

"It's pointless. Besides, what do we have to be thankful for?" he says rhetorically, opening his eyes to narrow them at me. "It's something humans do in their pesky lives with their families to get as big as pigs, and I have no reason to celebrate something so idiotic."

"Why?" I ask, and he sighs, glancing away from me as he gathers his thoughts. "Why can't we celebrate?"

"Why do you want to celebrate?" he asks me. I frown. "You do know you will never age, you will have more Thanksgivings that won't be going anywhere, not that you need to celebrate any of them."

I stand up, not able to be near him and his attitude. "I just want to celebrate and be thankful, which is what is celebrated on this day. It is something I will not cease to celebrate because you don't want to do human things that will only bring memories of your human life because you're the big bad Kol Mikaelson."

I contain my jump of surprise when Kol blurs over to me, his face inches away from mine. "You know nothing." He growls, but I stand firm. "I suggest you keep that pretty little mouth of yours shut; be a little more respectful. Your sharp little tongue is getting you in trouble with the wrong vampire."

"I'm right, aren't I?" I ask, not taking my eyes off of his, which are trying to wear me down but I won't let him intimidate me into not doing something he doesn't want to. "What is so wrong with wanting to do human things?"

"For starters, we're not humans," he growls, his anger surfacing when I called him out on his reason for not wanting to celebrate Thanksgiving. "We will never be humans. You need to stop wanting to be human, Gwen. It's not us. I'm an Original vampire and you're a ghost, humans would be buying pitchforks and torches if they knew what we are."

"I know I'm not human, but I am the ghost of a human," I say. "I only want to keep human memories alive, Kol. They are things I don't want to forget about myself or of my family or who I was."

"Why on earth would you want to do that?" he asks, taking a step backwards with a dark smirk. "It's pathetic to hold on to things like that. You should have forgotten them and casted them away to never be bothered by them."

"So I can be an emotionless bitch?" I ask, getting angry at him. "It's all right to feel things, Kol! I am glad you're starting to with me, but you do know that I have no switch to turn my emotions off and, even if I did, I wouldn't use it. You're going to have to get used to the fact that I want to do things I like and want to share them with you."

"I'm not doing this, Gwen," he says, his face stoic and firm with his decision, but I keep pushing.

"Why?"

He approaches me, his face a hair away from mine. "It is pointless and pathetic."

"Then you should go," I say, making him frown at me in question. "If you don't want to celebrate, then you can go to a bar, drink the life out of someone and you can come back later because I will take whatever time I have to do this." He eyes me, probably trying to see if I'm bluffing. "If you don't want to go, then tell me so I can manage to have at least some time of my own to celebrate one of the last few things I did with my family. Unlike yours, _they_ were the good thing in my life. I just need you to give me this." Our eyes remain locked, seeing who is going to give in first but I am not relenting this time. I will have my Thanksgiving, even if I have to go through him to do so. "What's it going to be?"

He clenches his jaw in anger before grabbing his jacket from the sofa, putting it on without looking at me. He grabs his phone and walks around me and I don't turn around to watch him leave, slamming the door behind him and going out into the city when it's only a bit past noon. I close my eyes and sigh; not in the mood to understand what might be going on in his head at the moment.

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><p>I sigh, trying to keep my smile on my face, but I am finding it difficult since I am forcing it to stay in place; my argument with Kol still fresh in my mind, even though it's been hours, night having coated the sky. I decorated the coffee table with some candles around it, a plate of pasta, which is the best that the hotel had, since they don't have any more turkey. I also had the lights of the room dimmed to make it more comfy and cozy. I had to return the plate twice because they kept forgetting my request to not use salt at all, having burned my mouth when I had taken a bite.<p>

I sit on the floor, eyeing my plate before snapping my fingers, to which the TV turns on. The screen shows 'Pocahontas' starting, the child in me decides to leave it on. I lean my elbows on the table and join my hands, closing my eyes before saying the things I am thankful for in my mind since there is no one for me to share them with.

_I am thankful for having met, Nik,_ I begin. _I am thankful for having met his family. I am thankful for another year that I have not succumbed to an unexpected death where I move on. I am thankful for meeting Kol, even though he is being quite unreasonable at the moment. And that is all I can think of right off the bat._

I pick up my fork and keep my smile forced on my lips as I dig into my plate, listening to the movie at the same time. I scoop up a bit of pasta in my fork and place it in my mouth, yelping and spitting out the food. It had salt in it, to which I groan in annoyance. I spit out as much as I can to get rid of the salt, noticing that the cooks in this hotel uses a lot of it as it burns my mouth. I push away the plate and take the napkin next to it to wipe my mouth as much as I can before throwing it on the table in defeat.

I groan, giving up completely. I lean one elbow on the coffee table and lean my chin on the hand, looking out the balcony, since this pathetic attempt at a Thanksgiving is practically ruined with its ever present dampened mood. I ignore the movie and just stare at the starlit sky above Rome, noticing the position of stars is different. _Well, obviously everyplace in the world have stars in different positions, Gwen,_ I tease myself.

I only sigh in defeat before blowing out the candles and snapping my fingers to turn off the TV, engulfing the room in darkness. I stand up and don't bother to clean anything up, deciding to do it in the morning, even though Kol will probably rub in my face that he was right and everything else that he might say. I stand up and go to the bedroom. I lay down on one side of the bed, facing the closed sliding doors that have a view of the balcony and outside. I cannot help but feel that Kol might be right and it is pointless to want to keep things alive when they are already dead. I release one heavier sigh before snuggling into my pillow and hugging myself.

I perk up when I hear the door to the room open and close, breaking the eerie silence that I was beginning to get used to. I don't bother to meet Kol out in the living room, and it wouldn't surprise me if he decides to sleep on the couch. The last thing I need right now is to have Kol on my back, questioning me about my night with smug written all over his face. I hear him shuffling about before I feel him coming to the doorway of the bedroom. He stays in place for some seconds, probably making sure I'm here before going into the living room. I notice that he turns on some lights in the living room. I frown when I hear him setting down some things about, but I remain on the bed. I hear some more shuffling before feeling eyes on me, which must be Kol at the doorway of the room.

"Darling?" I hear Kol say, his tone softer than when we last talked. I only hum in acknowledgement, letting him know that I heard him. "Would you mind coming with me?"

"Why?" I whisper, but knowing he heard me with his enhanced hearing. "I'm in no mood for another argument or anything that has to do with it."

"You're telling me that I went through all the trouble to bring you something nice for nothing?" he asks and I can hear the sarcasm and cocky attitude in his tone.

"I have no need for gifts, Kol," I say, remembering his earlier words. "I'm a ghost, remember?"

"Indulge me," he says, almost desperately, to which I sigh before sitting up.

"Do I have a choice?" I ask as I glance at him, not really meeting his eyes.

He only shrugs in response. "I'm giving you the benefit of letting me know of your opinion, but it'll make no difference."

"Fine," I say, too defeated and gloomy to put up a fight as I stand up, going over to him. He steps aside to let me pass and I turn the corner to the living room. My breath leaves me and my eyes widen in surprise at what I'm seeing.

Right in the middle of the coffee table, where no longer the things I left there are, is a small cooked turkey with plates on either side of it and some salads already on them. There are more than the few candles I had placed on the coffee table, only this time they are on the floor around it. There is a wine bottle on the corner of the coffee table with wine glasses next to the plates. My lips twitch as I tread carefully towards it, not able to believe my eyes at this miraculous Thanksgiving dinner. I turn to Kol when the lights are dimmed, seeing that he is the one that dimmed them before walking over to me. He only grins at me before helping me sit on one side of the coffee table, careful not to step on any of the candles, while Kol sits opposite to me on the floor.

I am utterly baffled, not having expected for Kol to do this, especially since he made it clear he was not going to celebrate Thanksgiving with me. Finally, a smile works its way into my lips as I look at the dinner made by Kol. How could this man be a ruthless killer and a complete gentleman, I did not know. He surprises me and I like how it makes me feel. I love how he is kind in his own way, even though he clearly loathes whatever kindness he is performing.

"Turkey?" he asks with a grin plastered on his lips as he cuts a piece of the small turkey.

"Thank you," I say with a nod as he places it on my plate, next to my salad. He takes a piece for himself and places it next to his salad. "No salt?"

"Obviously," he says with an incredulous face and a small grin on his lips before we start eating. "The last thing I want to do to you is burn you purposely. Wine?"

"Sure," I say as he opens the bottle with red wine in it and pours it in the two glasses. "Thank you."

Still, there is a burning question in my mind and I cannot help but ask, "Why?" He frowns at me, probably waiting for me to explain. "Why did you do this? I thought you found Thanksgiving pointless."

He sighs as he leans his arms on the coffee, his grin disappearing into a thin line. "It means something to you that I clearly don't agree with, but that doesn't mean that I am completely heartless."

"I know you're not," I say, and I take another bite. "Thank you for this. I really appreciate it and it's beautiful, especially the turkey."

He chuckles. "It was the only one left and I had to compel the chef to take it with me."

"From where did you take it?" I ask as I eye the turkey warily. "Should I be worried?"

He grins. "From the kitchens of the hotel. I would've taken the bigger one but I doubt we would have eaten all of it."

"Yeah," I say as I continue to eat. "Still, thank you."

"No need to thank me, darling," he says as he takes a bit from his plate. "I can be a gentleman from time to time."

"Kol?" I say, getting his attention as his eyes meet mine. "Why are you so against celebrating Thanksgiving?"

He sighs, dropping his fork on his plate, noticing that he clenches his jaw when he's angry or bothered by something. "I just don't see a point to celebrate it."

"Why?" I push, wanting to know his exact reason.

"It's a time when people gather," he says as he takes a sip from his wine, gulping it down slowly and I wait patiently, "and share time together. They are families." I realize what he means the moment he says the last sentence. "They are families that spend time together, who will choose their family above all else."

"You still have a family, Kol."

"Do I?" he asks as he lifts his eyes to mine and I manage to stifle my gasp when I see the sadness in his eyes while his face remains stoic. The sadness is deep and old, probably having been there for probably as long as he's been a vampire. "Did I ever?"

"You're the one who knows the answer," I say, not wanting to assume what Klaus, Rebekah and Elijah feel. "I'm not going to pretend to know what your siblings feel, but they must love you."

"So much that they'd dagger me?" he asks, his face turning hard in anger but trying to control it. "Not once did any of them mind that Klaus daggered me. Rebekah fears him and Elijah only coddles him, leaving me and Finn on our own most of the time, even though I tried to be their sibling." He chuckles bitterly while glancing at the balcony before turning to me with a meaningless smile that is full of sadness. "I cannot fathom how someone that is not even my blood wanted my freedom from the dagger, but my family couldn't care less to leave me to rot in a box." He frowns at me, causing me to frown in return. "I know Elijah un-daggered us to quench his guilt, but what if he hadn't? What would you have done?"

I shrug with a small smile. "Even if freeing Elijah backfired or Klaus daggered him again, I still had planned to free you all."

"Why?" he asks and I tilt my head at him. "Not that I mind or not understand that you needed to."

"I just felt like I had to," I say. "None of you deserved that. I also wanted to free myself from feeling your pain while you were daggered."

"Oh, so you never really wanted to free us from our prison," he says with a teasing grin and I roll my eyes at him.

"Still, I believe your siblings do love you," I say, bringing us back to the main topic of our conversation, which he would've preferred to avoid. "They just haven't shown it."

"They have, but not towards me," he says and his grin drops to a miserable smile that only saddens me. "It's always been Klaus, Bekah and Elijah. There is no Kol in that equation." He exhales angrily as he downs the rest of his wine, while I leave mine untouched, preferring to listen. "Before turning into a vampire, my mother had this saying about us being one, always and forever. It meant the world to me then in my naivety, but I discovered it to be a lie as the centuries passed." He sighs before filling up his glass one more and taking a sip. "I had no one, so I only relied on myself. Of course, I did seek the company of my family, but they were insufferable in their own ways."

"It hurts you how they cast you aside," I realize and Kol's silence confirms it. "I can't say I understand that, but I understand what loneliness feels like and the things I'd do to not be alone."

"Well, we're experienced in that front, you and I," he says before taking another sip form his wine, having literally drunk all of it on his own.

I smile bitterly at that. "We have each other now. Well, if you're willing to put up with me."

He chuckles, to which I smile at having accomplished that. "I'd take you over my family any time. And I think I'll need an eternity to get used to you; maybe not even then."

"Speak for yourself," I say finishing my food with a teasing smile. "Your ego is proving to be a struggle."

He frowns playfully. "I'd prefer you use the word 'charm'."

I hum as I set my plate to the side before leaning my elbows on the table. "Whatever you say, Mister Mikaelson."

"And you better not forget it," he says with a smug look that only has me rolling my eyes at it.

"Well, happy Thanksgiving," I say, feeling it is the right thing to say right about now. "I've really enjoyed it."

"It's not over just yet," he says as he stands up, causing me to frown as he takes his phone out and goes over to the radio.

"There's more?" I ask as I see him look for a song in his phone. "You're full of surprises, Mister Mikaelson."

"As always," he says as he connects his phone to the radio but doesn't play the song just yet. He approaches me and extends a hand for me to take, smirk in place as always. I frown up at him questioningly, but take his hand and he pulls me up to my feet. "I need you to know that I am doing this out of the kindness of my heart and you owe me," he says with his lips in a thin line in seriousness, while I can only frown at him in question. He sighs before playing the song, taking one of my hands in his and my waist in the other. I place my free hand around his shoulder as 'My Heart Will Go On' by Céline Dion begins to play. "Enjoy this because it's _never_ happening ever again."

"Don't make promises that I'll break," I say with a playful grin that he counters with a challenging glare, to which I chuckle.

_Every night in my dreams_

_I see you, I feel you_

_That is how I know you go on_

"I have no bloody idea why you like this song so much," he grumbles as he begins to waltz us to the beat of the song in a slow manner. I can only chuckle at his dramatic misery at having to listen to the song. "I also dislike how you're enjoying my suffering."

_Far across the distance_

_And spaces between us_

_You have come to show you go on_

"Well, get used to it because I like both the song and movie," I tell him, to which he groans as if I am torturing him. "Man up."

He raises an eyebrow at me. "Well, if what I have in my knickers isn't enough, then I don't think I am the one with the problem, darling," he says, to which I laugh.

"You know what I meant."

_Near, far, wherever you are_

_I believe that the heart does go on_

_Once more you open the door_

_And you're here in my heart_

_And my heart will go on and on_

"I do appreciate this," I say as we lock eyes. "I know you'd prefer not to do any of this and you don't have to hide it, but I am glad I got to spend it with you."

"I have to say," Kol begins as he pulls me against his front, our breaths mingling without ever breaking eye contact, "this isn't the worst holiday dinner I've had." I scoff when he shrugs innocently. "I'd prefer a more private and special place to celebrate. I think we can have that for Christmas."

_Love can touch us one time_

_And last for a lifetime_

_And never let go till we're gone_

I look at him with surprise while he grins. "Are you serious?"

"What?" he asks with a shrug of his shoulders as I stand still, causing us both to stop dancing to the song.

_Love was when I loved you_

_One true time I hold to_

_In my life we'll always go on_

"I thought we'd have another round to get you to celebrate Christmas," I say, not having even thought about that holiday. "You really want to?"

"No," he answers honestly, which I appreciate as he begins to sway us to the song. "But, I'd rather do this one right without another argument to add to our daily schedule."

_Near, far, wherever you are_

_I believe that the heart does go on_

_Once more you open the door_

_And you're here in my heart_

_And my heart will go on and on_

I can only smile up at him as he grins, proud of himself. "How will we celebrate Christmas the right way?"

"For one," he begins as he twirls me once, bringing me back to be a hair away from his face, "we won't be in Italy."

_You're here, there's nothing I fear_

_And I know that my heart will go on_

_We'll stay forever this way_

_You are safe in my heart_

_And my heart will go on and on_

"We can talk about Christmas later," I say as I wrap my arms around his neck, while his go around my waist, bringing me even closer to his body as the song ends.

"Agreed," he says with a mischievous grin that tells me he's probably thinking about the intimate activities that we normally have and I am thinking the same, but I decide to tease him a bit.

"I mean that we can just talk and sleep after," I say with as much seriousness as I can muster, causing him to frown at me as he pulls back, looking at me like I just ruined his whole night. "You know, connect with our feelings."

He keeps me at arm's length, and I can't help but laugh at his horrified look that slowly turns into one of realization. His arms fall to his sides, while I continue to laugh at his face, which is now glaring at me. I try to stifle my laughter, but it gets the best of me, to which Kol crosses his arms over his chest.

"You sly little minx," he says s I manage to calm down. "You are going to pay for that."

"I am so scared," I say, making voice to tremble.

"All right," he says with narrowed eyes before he throws me over his shoulder and I squeak in surprise before laughing. I grab on to the back of his shirt as he keeps me balanced on his shoulder by keeping a grip on my thighs.

"What are you doing?" I ask in between my laughter, noticing he's taking me to the bedroom.

"Teaching you not to tease me so, darling," he says before I yelp when he throws me on my back on the bed with my head on the pillow before continuing to laugh. "You'd do well to remember that."

"Still not scared," I say and he blurs on top of my, keeping my hands over my head and kneeling over me with lust all over his face as he leans close to my ear.

"That's not my objective," he purrs, to which I sigh with a smile before he pulls away.

We only stare at one another as he lies on top of me, trying to keep some weight off me, even though I welcome it. I can already feel the warmth spreading over my whole body and it's _indescribable_. We only breathe as he keeps my hands over my head, while I become lost in his mesmerizing eyes. _How can I not love this man?_ I ask myself. _I don't even care that I haven't known him for long._

"What is your objective?" I whisper, since there is no other sound in this room and I don't want to break it and risk ruining this moment.

He only smirks before lowering his head to my neck, causing me to sigh when I feel his lips come in contact with my skin. He nips and kisses my neck all over, eliciting a few giggles out of me when he nips closer to my ear. I try to get my hands out of his but he grips mine firmly. I groan in annoyance as he continues to kiss my neck and exposed shoulder and chest. I am amazed at how controlled he is as I continue to try and tug my hands out of his, whining in annoyance and it only makes him smirk against my skin.

"Would you mind letting go?" I ask him, panting a bit as he raises his head to meet my eyes and all I want to do is throw him across the room because of that stupid smirk, but the warmth is too good for me to do that. "What's the point in all of this?"

"Teaching you a lesson about knowing not to test me," he says as he takes both of my hands in one of his while the other strokes my side, causing me to bite my lip to keep myself from releasing a moan. "You'll not be using your powers and take it like the woman that you are."

"You really have a problem with letting things go," I say as he strokes my hip.

"I am the alpha," he says with a wide and teasing smirk, causing me to remember Klaus at this moment. "Never forget that."

"You sound just like Nik," I say. He rolls his eyes at me as he takes one of my thighs and hooks it on his waist.

"Can we not talk about my brother while I intend to ravish you?" he says and I can only nod before he begins to place kisses all over my neck but not on my lips, which is where I want them to be. He strokes the thigh I have hooked on his waist as he continues to explore my throat and shoulders. I moan louder when he rocks his hips against mine.

I whine as I try to tug at my hands once more. "Kol."

"Keep begging, my darling," he says as he continues to torture me, while I try to hold back my moan as I bite my lip to keep it in.

"I am not," I say as I pant, "begging."

"Your writhing form says otherwise," he says in his cool and collected tone that causes me to actually growl in annoyance, to which he smirks against my collarbone. He completely lies down on top of me, causing me to sigh at the feeling. "I'd rather enjoy torturing you before the need to rip your throat open comes along."

I did not stiffen at his words, but I am growing impatient with his 'lessons'. I really want to run my hands through his hair and press my lips against his. I want to taste his lips and have him pinned under me. I blush at the thought but it's what I really want to do, so it is what I am going to do. I don't care about his little rule about using my powers.

I shift a bit and wrap my legs around his waist, causing him to growl into my throat at the movement before continuing to nip here and there. I notice slight pressure on my body a bit south, knowing he's quite aroused by our closeness. His distraction gives me opportunity to carry out my plan, since he's too busy peppering the border of my neckline with kisses. I gasp when his hand strokes right under my breasts, to which I moan. I manage to come down from the slight bliss he elicited within me. I grin and have my hands become intangible to slip them out of his hold. Once free, I grab his shoulders and use his surprise to roll us over, leaving me sitting on top of him, panting. My legs are on either side of his abdomen as I giggle at his surprised frown.

"That's not fair," he says as he looks up at me with an amused look, placing his hands on my hips while I place mine on his firm chest.

"You may be the alpha," I say, surprised at my behavior as I lean down and brush my lips against his, "but I enjoy breaking the rules as much as you."

He grins before pressing his lips against mine. He brings up one of his hands from my hips to the back of my head, keeping me in place as our passionate kiss turns rough. His other hand continues to stroke up and down my thigh, causing me to moan into his mouth. While he keeps a hand behind my head to keep me in place, I frame his face with mine. I stop the kiss but we don't separate as we look into one another's eyes.

"You do as you please, darling," he says against my lips. "I am yours to do as you wish."

I grin against his mouth, loving what he just said before moving my lips against his once more, to which he responds eagerly. I bury my hands in his hair, making him moan as I massage his head, which I take as a small victory. I begin kissing his jaw, being quite shy about it as I make my way down his throat. His pleasurable sigh only prompts me to continue my ministrations as his hold on me tightens. I don't even care how tight his hold on me is as I continue to pepper his skin with kisses. Wanting more skin to explore, I detach my lips from his skin and sit up and bring him with me. Kol seems to read what I want when his eyes meet mine and takes his shirt off, throwing it away and giving me a whole view of perfection.

Kol has his hands on my waist to keep me close while I sit on his lap, his eyes following my every movement. I trace his chest with my eyes, following up with my fingertips going from his collarbones to his scorching chest. His not ripped or plain, he's in between; he's firm, to which I bite my lip to keep myself from jumping on him. I look up and I am not surprised to find Kol's vampire features manifested. I peck his lips before raising my wrist for him to take a sip of me, but he stops me by placing a hand over it, shaking his head.

"I'm fine," he says, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. His supernatural traits disappear and he opens his eyes once more with a small smile. "I'd rather not end today with a bloody mess."

"Okay," I say with a small smile before pushing him back on the bed. I lay down next to him, tucking my head under his chin with an arm over his bare chest and a leg over one of his. He wraps the arm he has under me around my waist and grabs my hand on his chest with the other. I smile as I stare out the balcony and into the starry night. "Goodnight, Kol."

He places a kiss on my temple before leaning his head on top of mine. "Goodnight, my Darling Lass."

**The end! Well, for this chapter! Things will escalate as we go on, so be ready for them! I am giving you guys some good memories of them because things will take a dire turn soon enough.**

**Now, remember to review, PM, Fave or Follow. Share your thoughts, opinions and what you expect, whatever comes to mind.**

**Hope you enjoyed! See ya later!**


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